The Ice at Canalside opened for its second winter season Monday. Some new amenities are available this year for visitors who want to stay warm or do some shopping.
“I got up at 4 a.m. and my dad drove us down here and then we started skating. Then we got cold so I went back in," said little Ellie Matesic who was one of a handful of skaters on the ice with her father, Sam, this morning.
Ellie was able to warm up in the rink's new winter pavilion. Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation President Tom Dee says thousands of people came down to Canalside last season to either skate on the rink or just watch and being cold was an issue.
"What we focused on in the offseason was customer improvements. A lot of the feedback we got last year was that people we cold. We had 60,000 skaters last year. We don't know how many people were there to watch the skaters but we know that it wasn't an entirely pleasant experience when you're not moving around. So we have the winter pavilion," said Dee.
"We're excited about that because inside there we have vendors, we're going to have food, beer, wine options and an opportunities to buy sweatshirts and hats and gloves that people always forget."
Dee says there’s also plenty of new programming and some old favorites as well.
“Suite Skate” which premiered at the end of last season will be back on Thursdays, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY. Corporate Relations Manager Kyle Rogers says the event grew quickly in popularity.
“Suit Skate is a program we're really excited about," says Rogers. "It offers downtown workers the opportunity to come down to Canalside, get discounted admission on the ice and on ice rentals. There will be food trucks down here so it's a great way to kind of break up your work day."
Ice bikes, skating lessons and various winter sports also return. Among the new programs being offered are Theme Skate Fridays, Open Mic Mondays and Karaoke Tuesdays.
The Ice at Canalside officially opens at 3 p.m. Monday.
