Outdoor Ice Skating Rink on Main Street

Lace up your skates and enjoy a romantic old fashioned outdoor rink in downtown Grand Junction, right here in in the Grand Valley.

Under the headline, "Ice Skate Grand Junction's Main Street This Weekend," Grand Junction Free Press Reporter Marija B. Vader writes:

"Come Thursday, you’ll be able to ice skate on Main Street."

"Chris Brown of Brown Cycles is bringing an ice skating rink to Main Street Thursday, Friday and Saturday."

"Why?"

“Because it’s Christmas!” he said. “It’s in the spirit of the season.”

"The rink glides well with The Spirit of Christmas Walk, the annual Downtown Development Authority event happening Friday night on Main Street. The event involves carolers, hot chocolate and shops staying open late."

"At Coffee Muggers, Grand Junction musician Jerry Colby will unveil his first solo CD, and Just Us will also play."

"Now, people can add Christmas Skate to their Christmas Walk events to do."

"On the rink, the “ice” is actually synthetic, similar to a plastic resin cutting board, so “you could skate in the middle of the summer if you want,” Brown said."

"This rink will be assembled in a few parking places in front of Brown Cycles, 549 Main St., so traffic will continue to flow. The ice on skates works like a knife on a resin cutting board."

"Or like ice, Brown said."

“You can twist, turn and hockey stop. It’s a tad bit slower, but you glide,” Brown said. The more grooves are made, the quicker it gets, and if it’s wet, it’ll work better yet."

"“So when it’s snowing outside, it’s perfect,” he said."

"For $5, people can get ice skates and ice time for half an hour. People who bring their own skates will pay $3 to get on the ice."

"Brown has spent six months researching the idea and putting it into action.
“I have three kids, and they want to skate,” said Brown, who takes his kids to The Glacier, Grand Junction’s ice arena."

"But this rink will be romantic, because it’s outside on Main Street."

“It’s Main Street ... wrap it with Christmas lights, play Christmas music, drink hot cocoa, I’m all over that,” he said."

“It’s romantically appropriate to put it on Main Street in Grand Junction during the holidays,” he said."

"Mike Allen, owner of Toys for the Fun of It, is also a sponsor, along with Main Street Bagels and The Grand Junction Free Press."

“Anything we can do to enhance the experience downtown is a good thing,” Allen said. “People associate ice skating with the holiday season, and I think it’s a good thing.”