Ice rink opens in downtown Glen Ellyn for the holidays

No matter the temperature, a synthetic ice skating rink in Glen Ellyn has no chance of melting.

The pop-up rink is returning downtown just in time for the holiday shopping season. Skating isn't weather-dependent because the outdoor rink is installed with a plastic surface.

Last winter, the village partnered with the Glen Ellyn Park District to open the 60-by-40-foot rink and turn the Crescent Boulevard parking lot into a "Polar Plaza" with bistro lighting and other festive decorations.

This season, Polar Plaza will launch Thanksgiving weekend with an opening event beginning at noon on "Shop Small Saturday" Nov. 27. The Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce is offering pictures with Santa, live music, a toy drive, food trucks, a Glenbard South High School student choir and promotions encouraging patrons to support small businesses downtown.

The rink will be free to residents and visitors through Feb. 21, 2022. No skate rentals are on-site.

The village funded the project with federal CARES Act dollars. Village trustees in late 2020 approved the purchase of the synthetic ice and amenities to create the plaza at a cost of up to $80,000.