On its second day of operation, the Holland Ice Park lost its noon and 2 p.m. skate sessions. Warm temperatures and wind had worked on the ice, and every curling reservation that day was canceled too, WOODTV reported on November 15, 2025. According to WZZM, ticket holders got the news by text and email.
It was a rough start for a park that went on to have a remarkable first winter. The weather turned out to be the smaller problem. Getting a ticket was the bigger one. The second season opens Friday, November 20, and the city has rebuilt the booking calendar around that demand. For anyone who wants to skate in December, the date to watch is Monday, November 16.
How the first winter filled up
Each open-skate session caps out at 150 skaters, and the first Friday-night skate sold out, WOODTV reported at the opening. Before the ice opened to the public, more than 1,500 tickets had already sold, according to MLive. New batches went on sale on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.
Here is how the season added up:
| Point in the 2025–26 season | Reported figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Opening day, November 14, 2025 | More than 1,500 tickets sold in advance | MLive |
| February 12, 2026 | About 26,000 open-skate tickets and $275,000 to $300,000 in city revenue, not counting curling | FOX 17 |
| Season recap, March 18, 2026 | About 34,000 skating-ribbon bookings, 213 curling reservations, 8,219 cups of hot cocoa | WHTC |
WHTC's recap of the March City Council meeting called 34,000 bookings a near sell-out of every session. City Parks Manager Andy Kenyon gave much of the credit to the park's staff. When nearly every slot sells, the people who skate are the ones who knew when tickets went on sale.
The new rhythm runs on the 16th
For 2026–27, Holland Parks and Recreation has moved from twice-monthly Tuesday drops to one release a month. Each batch goes on sale on the 16th and covers the following month. The city's tickets and reservations page lays out the schedule:
| Release date | Sessions released |
|---|---|
| Friday, October 16, 2026 | November 20 to 30, ice skating only |
| Monday, November 16, 2026 | December 1 to 31 |
| Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | January 1 to 31, 2027 |
| Saturday, January 16, 2027 | February 1 to 28 |
| Tuesday, February 16, 2027 | March 1 to the end of the season |
The November batch has been on sale since mid-October and covers only the first eleven days of the season, which are skating-only. That makes the November 16 drop the first release that covers a full month. It includes the holiday break and the first curling sessions.
The rules that come with each ticket are the same as last year, and they reward planning ahead:
- Open skate is $10 per person for a 90-minute session, skate rental included.
- Skaters who bring their own skates still need a ticket.
- Tickets are sold online in advance only, the park is cashless, and reservations are non-refundable and can't be moved to another session.
- The park is open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays.
- Spectators don't need a ticket.
The season runs November 20, 2026, through March 14, 2027, weather permitting, the city announced on September 30. That puts opening day six days later on the calendar than last year's November 14 start.
Everything else that also hinges on November 16
Ticket releases aren't the only deadline that falls on that Monday.
Curling reservations open the same day, for sheet time from December 1 through February 28. A 90-minute reservation costs $100 to $125 with equipment included. Last winter the sheet logged 213 reservations, a small number next to 34,000 ribbon bookings. There is only one curling sheet, though, and the most popular weekend slots go first.
The new youth Learn to Skate program raises its price right after November 16. Session 1 meets Saturday mornings, November 28 through December 12, at the park. Ages 6 to 8 skate from 9:00 to 9:40 a.m., and ages 9 to 11 from 9:45 to 10:25 a.m. Classes are capped at 15 skaters and helmets are required. The earliest rate closed October 26. Through November 16 the fee is $50 for residents and $65 for nonresidents. After that it rises to $60 and $75, depending on availability.
Adults get their own on-ramp. Learn to Curl clinics run 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, and again on January 9 and February 13, 2027. Each clinic is 60 minutes of instruction on stone delivery, sweeping, strategy and scoring, followed by 30 minutes of free play. The fee is $15 for residents and $20 for nonresidents, and the clinics are open to ages 18 and up. At those prices, a clinic is the cheapest way to try the curling sheet.
December 1 is crowded downtown
The calendar gets fuller once December tickets go on sale. Dutch Winterfest, "Holidays on the Canals," runs December 1 through 5. The skating ribbon is decorated as a Dutch canal, with lanterns, mulled cider and performances on the ice by Holland's Dutch Dancers. Winterfest has its own session times, from 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. starts on weeknights to six start times on Saturday, December 5. Some sessions that week are $5, courtesy of LG Energy Solution.
Winterfest opens the same evening as the Downtown Holland Parade of Lights. The parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, and heads west on 8th Street from Columbia Avenue to the Civic Center. 8th Street closes at 2 p.m. that day. A 6:30 p.m. skate that night means choosing between the ice and the parade. A 4:00 p.m. session ends before the floats start rolling.
The holiday break schedule, December 18 through January 1, adds daytime sessions. On most days eight start times run from noon to 8:00 p.m. The park is closed December 24 and 25. On December 31 the last listed session starts at 3:00 p.m. All of those dates are in the November 16 release.
The rest of the winter, by the month
After the holidays, the park settles into a weekly routine of themed nights, listed on its seasonal events page:
- Character Skate Wednesdays, every Wednesday in January, February and March. Skaters in costume get free popcorn with paid admission.
- Glow Nights, every Friday in January, February and March.
- Love on Ice, February 12 to 14, 2027, with a glow party, a soul and R&B skate, and a family event.
Every themed night needs a skate ticket. January's go on sale December 16 and February's on January 16, which means Love on Ice weekend opens for booking almost a month ahead.
Why the ice holds up, and what happens when it doesn't
The rink is built to keep the season going through Lakeshore weather swings. Tubes beneath the surface hold the ice at 5 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit, and staff mist and smooth the ribbon with a Zamboni every day, MLive reported. City officials told WOODTV that the cooling capacity equals three NHL rinks. WOODTV also reported heated sidewalks and three large fireplaces. Before the opening, Mayor Nathan Bocks told FOX 17 about the breezeway between the buildings, where glass garage doors come down to block the wind "so parents and grandparents can stand in a warm environment while their kids and their grandkids are out there skating."
The investment was large, and much of it came from residents. WOODTV put the cost at $11.2 million, and FOX 17 put it at $11.5 million. MLive reported that community donations covered more than $7 million, including a $1 million gift from retired educator Frank Kraai.
Even so, the season still runs "weather permitting," and last November 15 showed what that means: sessions get canceled and ticket holders are notified by text and email. Tickets are non-refundable, so it pays to check the forecast before a mild-weather weekend.
Pairing the ice with the rest of 8th Street
The park opens the same day as Kerstmarkt, Holland's Dutch-style Christmas market at the 8th Street Marketplace, 150 W. 8th St. The market runs on five Friday and Saturday pairs from November 20 through December 19. Friday hours are 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Holland.org's Kerstmarkt page lists a collectible glühwein mug, dog-sled demonstrations, handbell concerts, and visits from Sinterklaas and the Dickens Carolers. The Ice Park sits at 71 E. 6th St., so an afternoon session pairs easily with an evening at the market stalls.
On Saturday, November 21, the Downtown Holland Holiday Open House runs from 5 to 8 p.m., with free gift wrapping, a reindeer petting corral, carolers and chestnut roasting. Visitors who skip the ice can still stop by. The park welcomes non-skaters on any evening, no ticket required.
Downtown spots that can fill up a winter weekend, like the Ice Park, also give homes nearby some of their appeal. If you are thinking about listing a home within walking distance of 8th Street this winter, Michigan Homes & Cottages can show you how we present that downtown lifestyle to buyers from Chicago and beyond. Request your complimentary lakeshore marketing plan.
