Main Street will have a 9,000-gallon ice skating rink during the holiday season this year as part of Grapevine’s Christmas Capital of Texas festivities.
Grapevine City Council unanimously approved an agreement at its July 5 meeting to construct and operate an ice skating rink for the next three holiday seasons at Grapevine Main Station. Construction of the rink will be done by ICE Challenge Enterprises, which has previously built outdoor rinks in Prosper and Frisco.
“If Prosper can do it [and] Frisco can do it, then we need to do it, [or] we can give away ‘The Christmas Capital’ to someone else,” Mayor William D. Tate said during the meeting.
Construction of the rink is to begin Nov. 11. The rink must be operational by Nov. 18, per the city’s agreement. The rink will stay open for 52 days until Jan. 8.
The rink will be located at Grapevine Main Station’s Peace Plaza and will be 90 feet by 50 feet. Total cost for the rink is estimated at $234,000. Additional revenue from the rink will be split with 70% going to the city and 30% going to ICE Challenge Enterprises, according to the City Council meeting packet.
Grapevine’s live Christmas tree will remain in Peace Plaza. During the meeting, Paul W. McCallum, executive director of Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, said last year’s tree was 40 feet tall. Plans are in place to have a larger tree at 2022's Christmas Capital of Texas, he said.
Depending on the ice rink’s success and the continued growth of the Christmas Capital of Texas, McCallum said, “Grapevine will become the Rockefeller of the Southwest.”
Hours of operation for the rink will be 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Fridays and noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The rink’s opening time may be adjusted to noon once school is out for winter break. Price per person will be $20, according to the city’s agreement.
Private ice skating times for corporations or special groups will be available at $500 per hour prior to the day’s operating hours.
An estimated 13,400 skaters are expected during the rink’s seven and a half weeks of operation. Daily attendance is projected to range from 1,400 to 2,600 skaters, according to documents.
Editor's note: The original post has been edited to correct an error. Paul W. McCallum is the executive director of Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau.
