The City of Santa Ana will offer a public outdoor ice-skating rink during a month-long family-friendly event with holiday light shows, entertainment, food trucks and more.
Local residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy a surprising winter activity in famously warm and sunny Southern California: outdoor ice skating in a winter wonderland.
Starting December 2, Santa Ana Winter Village returns for the third consecutive year, bringing a month-long celebration of holiday fun to the heart of OC’s downtown. Located in the “Plaza of the Flags” at Orange County Civic Center, the event will offer a wide variety of activities and fun for guests of all ages through December 31.
Residents and visitors to Santa Ana will be able to rent ice skates and test their skills at a world-class outdoor ice-skating rink in the middle of Orange County. In addition to ice-skating daily, Santa Ana Winter Village will host special days throughout the month-long event that offer entertainment, holiday merchandise, local food trucks, community groups and more. A special focus on several of these special days (specified on the official event website), will be activities that appeal to the whole family. Parents and kids visiting on weekends can read a story with Mrs. Claus or enjoy a treat while watching the daily festive holiday light show.
Presented by the City of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency, the Winter Village is a community event designed to engage area residents while encouraging visitors to shop and dine in Downtown Santa Ana and support the local business community. Santa Ana Winter Village will officially open with a special tree-lighting ceremony on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 2, which will be attended by Santa Ana City Councilmembers and other VIP guests.
“While Santa Ana is a diverse city with a lot to offer year-round, the Winter Village is a special community event that brings together residents, neighbors and visitors to celebrate the holiday season,” said Mayor Valerie Amezcua. “We are proud to offer this fun outdoor activity for the third year and hope it brings holiday joy to many local families and groups.”
The signature attraction of Santa Ana Winter Village is a portable outdoor ice rink that allows guests aged 3 and up to ice-skate in 90-minute sessions, with both general skating admission and discounted Santa Ana resident rates available. Tickets can be purchased in advance to reserve a specific date and time. A limited number of tickets will also be available to walk-up guests each session. General admission for ice-skating is $15 for adults (13+) and $10 for kids (3-12). Santa Ana residents are offered discounted ice skating at $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
Admission to Santa Ana Winter Village is free of charge, with separate costs for specific activities, such as ice-skating, food trucks and merchandise vendors. Family activities such as story time with Mrs. Claus, meeting Santa Claus and entertainment are available at no cost. On Saturday, December 9 from 9am to 11am, visitors can enjoy Breakfast with Santa, to get into the holiday spirit. Online registration for Breakfast with Santa will be available on November 18.
The first three Saturdays of the event period (December 2, 9 and 16) will host special “vendor days” that offer shopping from local merchandise vendors, unique food offerings and more. Throughout the event period, Santa Ana Winter Village will host local community partners and VIP appearances on special days, including the Anaheim Ducks Street Team.
On Saturday, December 16, the Power of One Foundation, a local community nonprofit organization, will host a Toy Giveaway from 5pm to 10pm for registered Santa Ana youth. Visitors are encouraged to donate a toy if attending the Winter Village prior to December 16.
While Santa Ana Winter Village is open to the public Thursday through Sunday December 2-24, the skating rink and event space are available for private group rental Monday through Wednesday each week. Interested parties can book reservations by contacting the City of Santa Ana special events office at (714) 571-4227.
For updated event information, ice-skating hours, advance ice-skating ticket sales, parking information and more, visit the Santa Ana Winter Village page at www.santa-ana.org/wintervillage.