Around the Christmas season, there have been many local attractions to visit including Longwood Gardens and seeing Santa at the mall. However, there has not been a place where people had the opportunity to outdoor ice skate unless they wanted to make the drive to the Rockefeller Center in New York City. To fix this problem, the Riverfront decided to open it’s own outdoor rink conveniently in Wilmington in 2014. The rink cost $350,000 and was bought from Longwood Gardens due to the ice show that was discontinued. The opening day for the new Riverfront Rink was December 13, and will be open until February 28, 2015.

I visited the Riverfront Rink on December 20, and had a wonderful experience. By first glance the rink does not seem as big as some people may expect. As eager ice skaters pay the eleven dollar fee they are directed to the line to rent ice skates. After the skates are secured on the skater’s feet, they are ready to go. The rink was decorated with lights and popular music was played as well. There are many different talent levels of ice skaters ranging from the ones who hug the wall to the more experienced ones who can do impressive tricks. No matter what the talent level is, everyone is welcome. The Riverfront Rink has many employees who seemed to enjoy their jobs and were very welcoming and helpful. Ashley Macha (‘16) visited the Riverfront Rink December 20, as well, and commented on the enthusiastic employees. “The employees were helpful and the staff on the ice could tell when you needed help and were always there to lend a hand if someone fell,” she said. Another factor that made the trip even more enjoyable was the other friendly ice skaters. There are people of all different ages skating, many in high school, but also parents and young children.

As enjoyable as the trip was, there are a few tips I wish I had known before I went. The first is to make sure you get to the rink earlier rather than later. If you plan on going in the evening, I would suggest arriving around 6:30 or 7 pm so ensure you get the size of skates you need. A problem a few of the skaters had was the inability to skate because the rink ran out of the size needed. Another tip would be to make sure to dress warmly in case there is a fall. It is not as cold as one may think for an outdoor ice skating rink, however if there is a misstep and fall, the ice does get chilly. Lastly, I would suggest to only to bring items that will fit in a pocket. For example, only bring a phone and money because it costs extra money to rent a locker to hold your belongings and it is difficult to ice skate while holding a purse or wallet.

All in all, the trip to the Riverfront Rink was an amusing time with my friends at an inexpensive cost.  I would recommend it to anyone whether for a family night, a date, or a night with a group of friends.