After a successful inaugural season, McMinnville Parks and Recreation announced the premature closing of the ice rink downtown for the 2022-23 season. It was originally planned to close in early February, but based on the performance in the past two weekends, Parks and Rec decided to open the rink for only two more days - the last two Saturdays in January.

Parks and Rec director Justin Scott told the city Tourism Development Board last week that there was a possibility the ice rink could close early for the season due to low attendance on the weekend of Jan. 6-8 and that they would look at the weekend of Jan. 13-15 before they made a final decision. 

Scott told the Standard, “We feel the ice rink was a huge success this year. I am thankful for the employees who put in time to make it a success. Thank you to the TDB and to those who helped with the planning of the rink, to the Parks and Recreation maintenance crew in helping with the setup, to Public Works for helping us get the lot ready to install and to the workers at the rink who provided a service that allowed people from all over to come and enjoy our beautifully lit downtown. Urban forestry did a great job with the lights as always. I really appreciate them.” 

TDB member Christy Ross said, “McMinnville on Ice has been a huge success our inaugural season. I think it brought something truly special to our already beautiful downtown. The rink was either at full capacity or near full capacity for the largest part of the season. As demands change we are learning what works best for hours of operation for next season as we grow.”

Scott added, “Michael Benusches played a huge part in the success of the rink this season with scheduling and advertising. I am thankful for him. Time flew by, but we look forward to a new season in 2023.” The rink will be open tomorrow Jan. 21 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and it will conclude on Saturday, Jan. 28 with the same hours.