Winter Skate at Patriot Place Announces Opening Day Events

From Patriot Place:

Free admission on Nov. 11 for guests who donate to Cradles to Crayons.

Winter Skate, Patriot Place’s popular outdoor ice skating rink presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, is set to open for the 2016-17 winter season on Friday, Nov. 11.

To celebrate this year’s opening, Patriot Place is throwing an opening day bash featuring appearances by the New England Patriots Cheerleaders, Patriots mascot, Pat Patriot and Revolution mascot, Slyde, a DJ, balloon twisting with Dan’s Balloons and a caricature artist. Complete opening day schedule can be found below.

Additionally, guests can receive free admission through the following offers on opening weekend:

• Lace up your skates for a good cause by donating a new or gently used coat or a pair of hats and gloves to Cradles to Crayons and receive free admission on Nov. 11 (skate rentals not included)
• Celebrate 11/11 by wearing your Julian Edelman or Drew Bledsoe No. 11 Patriots jerseys and t-shirts on Nov. 11 and receive free admission (skate rentals not included)
• Veterans and active military with valid military ID will receive free admission in recognition of Veterans Day from Nov. 11-13 (skate rentals not included)
• Patriots fans who wear their gear on game day (Sunday, Nov. 13) will receive free admission from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (skate rentals not included). The rink will close at 4 p.m. due to the Patriots 8:30 p.m. game vs. the Seattle Seahawks

“Outdoor ice skating is a time-honored tradition in New England and one that we look forward to every year at Winter Skate and one that I look forward to personally with my family,” said Patriot Place General Manager Brian Earley. “We are thrilled to partner with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care for an eighth consecutive season to offer families a great way to mix fun and fitness through the winter months while helping a great organization like Cradles to Crayons provide children in need with essential items to thrive. We look forward to another great season of outdoor ice skating at Winter Skate.”

“We are pleased to again sponsor Winter Skate at Patriot Place,” said Eric H. Schultz, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “This is a terrific opportunity for families to enjoy a classic, healthy New England wintertime sport and support the work of Cradles to Crayons.”

Learn to Skate at Winter Skate

Winter Skate is offering three Learn to Skate sessions this winter to teach people of all ages the basics of ice skating. The first session begins on Sunday, Nov. 20 and will be held on the following Sundays through December: Nov. 27, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. The second session begins on Jan. 8 and will be held on the following Sundays through January: Jan. 15, 22 and 29. A third session will be held in February. Each lesson begins at 10 a.m. and runs for 50 minutes. For more information, or to register online, visit here.

The 60-by-140-foot, professionally-maintained ice surface is specifically designed for recreational skating and features an observation deck for non-skaters. The surface is large enough to accommodate beginners and experts alike, hockey and private events.

Winter Skate offers public skating Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-6 p.m.; Thursday from 4-7 p.m.; Friday from 4-10 p.m.; Saturday and all school holidays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Winter Skate will be open until late February. Bathrooms are available and parking is free.

Standard skating price is $8 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under and seniors 65 and over. Harvard Pilgrim members receive $2 off admission by showing their membership card, or if you donate a coat or hat/glove set to Cradles to Crayons. On-site skate rentals are $4. Full season passes for families are $125.

Individual season passes are $75 for adults and $60 for children and seniors. Individual admission and season passes do not include skate rentals. Group rates, private events and hockey rentals are available by calling (508) 203-2100 or by email at WinterSkate@Patriot-Place.com.

For more information, visit here.

Winter Skate Schedule of Events, Friday, November 11

• 11 a.m. – Grand Opening
• 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Appearances by the Patriots Cheerleaders, Patriots mascot, Pat Patriot and Revolution mascot, Slyde.
• 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – DJ & Games
• 2 – 6 p.m. – Balloon Twisting with Dan’s Balloons
• 6 – 8 p.m. – AMP 103.3 Street Team
• 6 – 10 p.m. – Caricature Artist

Images courtesy of Patriot Place / Jeremie Smith:

(Image 1) Foxborough figure skater Kara Gill, left, with Patriots mascot, Pat Patriot, at the 2015 Winter Skate grand opening at Patriot Place. Gill, an eighth grader at Foxborough’s Ahern Middle School, has been skating since preschool and performed at the 2015 Winter Skate opening.

(Image 2) Winter Skate presented by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care opens for an eighth consecutive season at Patriot Place on Friday, Nov. 11.

(Image 3) Taylor Rae Rocco performs at last year’s Finale on Ice figure skating show at Patriot Place’s Winter Skate. Proceeds from the event, which marked the end of the 2015-2016 ice skating season at the outdoor rink, benefit the Hockomock Area YMCA and Cradles to Crayons.