On Oct. 23, the city put a short notice at the top of its public skating page. Because of the warmer weather, there would be no outdoor skating at the ROC that day. That notice tells you outdoor skating had already started in St. Louis Park. The season opened Oct. 11 and runs through March 14, 2027, weather permitting.
The rinks at Birchwood, Browndale, Nelson, Oak Hill and Parkview parks are another story. Their warming houses don't start regular hours until Dec. 18. Until then, the city's posted outdoor public skating schedule covers one place, the Recreation Outdoor Center at 3700 Monterey Drive. Through November and most of December, much of the city's winter calendar gets built around that one covered rink.
The rink with a roof
The ROC sits on the campus of The Rec Center. It works as a covered ice rink in the winter, gets turf for baseball and soccer in the spring, and turns into a dry concrete floor for movies in the park and graduation parties in the summer. It's open-air but covered, so the city can make ice in October and skaters still get outside air. On a mild afternoon, though, the city can still call off skating, as it did on Oct. 23.
There are three kinds of public ice in town right now, and each runs on its own schedule:
| ROC outdoor skate | Indoor Rec Center skate | Neighborhood rinks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Oct. 11, 2026 to March 14, 2027 | Now through June 5, 2027 | Warming houses from Dec. 18 |
| Public hours | Fri. 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. | Mon., Wed., Fri. noon to 1:30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Sun. 2 to 3:30 p.m. | Mon. to Thu. 4 to 8 p.m. in the regular block |
| Cost | $4 youth and senior, $5 adult | $4 youth and senior, $5 adult | Warming house hours weather permitting |
At both the ROC and the indoor arena, a 10-pass bundle costs $35 for youth and seniors or $40 for adults. The ROC's warming house is inside The Rec Center, next to the rink. It opens Fridays 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and weekends noon to 2 p.m., and rents skates for $3 a pair. If you'd like a stick in your hands, ROC open pond hockey runs Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon, and it's free.
The weekends the ROC takes off
Because everything shares one rink, a few weekend dates drop off the public schedule. On Nov. 7, 8 and 14, there's no ROC public skate and no pond hockey. On Saturday, Nov. 14, the ice goes to the free Skate School Fall Showcase from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It includes an exhibition, open skating, snacks and cocoa by the fire. That same Saturday, the city's monthly Walk the Park outing heads to Nelson Park and the North Cedar Lake Regional Trail.
Here's what's on the city's calendar between now and the day the neighborhood warming houses open:
- Saturday, Nov. 14. Skate School Fall Showcase at the ROC, and Walk the Park at Nelson Park.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25. Turkey Bingo in the Rec Center Banquet Room, plus free Turkeys on Ice at the West Ice Arena from noon to 1:30 p.m.
- Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27. The Interpretive Center at Westwood Hills Nature Center is closed for Thanksgiving.
- Friday, Nov. 27. Disco Ball Ice Skating at the ROC from 6 to 8 p.m. A DJ spins and lights up the ice. It's $5 a person, children 5 and under are free, and rental skates are $3 while they last.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. The U.G.L.Y. Sweater Dash, a 5K that loops Louisiana Oaks Park and the lit trees of Oak Hill Park, then gathers at Park Tavern.
- Saturday, Dec. 12. Walk the Park moves to Lamplighter Park.
- Monday, Dec. 14. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stops at Lake Street and Library Lane from 6 to 8 p.m., with music listed for 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. It's free, and the city says more details are coming closer to the date.
- Friday, Dec. 18. The second Disco Ball night at the ROC, same 6 to 8 p.m. slot.
Dec. 18 shows up twice on the city's calendar. That Friday, the ROC hosts its second Disco Ball night, and the neighborhood warming houses start their regular hours.
When the warming houses open
The city lists outdoor rinks at 11 parks. Birchwood, Browndale, Center, Nelson, Oak Hill and Parkview have both figure skating and hockey rinks. Ainsworth, Bass Lake, Fern Hill, Jackley and Willow have figure skating rinks only. Rinks at the lighted parks usually light up around 4:30 p.m. and go dark around 8:45 p.m.
Only Birchwood, Browndale, Nelson, Oak Hill and Parkview have warming houses. They close when the temperature falls below negative 5 degrees or the wind chill hits negative 15. The weather line at 952.924.2567 has updates. The opening weekend runs regular hours Dec. 18 through 20. Winter-break hours then take over from Dec. 21 through Jan. 3: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays.
That winter-break stretch also brings the two biggest evenings of the season. On Monday, Dec. 21, Westwood Hills Nature Center holds Be the Light, a free, all-ages winter solstice walk with luminaries and a fire gathering, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. You need to register for it. Then the season comes back to the ROC. Its free New Year's Eve skate runs Dec. 31 from 4 to 6 p.m., with $3 skate rental while supplies last.
Two new stops on the way home
Most ROC sessions end by early evening, so there's time to eat after. Two places opened this year that fit that window.
The Candy Shop took over the retail side of Honey & Rye Bakehouse's annex at 4615 Excelsior Blvd. The bakery still runs its production and classes in the space. The Star Tribune reports a lineup of imported Swedish candy, housemade confections and dirty sodas. Owner Anne Andrus held the grand opening the weekend of Aug. 8, according to the Sun Sailor, which also reported Thursday through Sunday hours. Those days line up with the ROC's Friday, Saturday and Sunday public skates.
Hello! Hyderabad is the newer of the two. It took over the former Urban Wok space on W. 16th Street in the Shops at West End, and the Sun Sailor reported a public opening planned for Oct. 22 or 23. Chef and owner Sasi Nimmagadda runs the local chain, which used to be called Hyderabad Indian Grill. This is its seventh location. The menu includes the Chicken 65 Biryani, about a dozen vegan dishes, and a spice scale from one to five. The dining room seats 40 to 50. The restaurant's own page lists hours of 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. every day. Even after a Disco Ball night lets out at 8, there's plenty of time for dinner.
One for the January calendar
Once the holidays are over, Maggie's Farm Theater is worth a trip. It has reopened in a renovated 48-seat space in the basement of the century-old Lenox Community Center at 6715 Minnetonka Blvd. The Sun Sailor describes new paint, carpet, drapes and acoustic ceiling tiles. There's nothing on its season schedule for November or December. Its Come in from the Cold concert series opens Jan. 22 with Sawtooth Witch and Zippy Laske & DGS. Tickets are pay-as-you-can at $15, $20, $25 or $30, according to the theater's 2026–27 season page.
Until then, the Friday skate at the ROC starts at 5:45 p.m. Check the city's public skating page before you head out on a warm afternoon.
If a winter of Friday nights at the ROC has you thinking about which St. Louis Park block you'd want to walk home to, or what your current home might be worth this season, Steve Schmitz and our team are glad to talk it through. We're always happy to start with a quick, no-pressure home value conversation.