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Bellefonte’s Ice Skating Rink to Return in 2023

BELLEFONTE — The rink is returning in 2023. Bellefonte will once again have an ice-skating rink this winter, according to Bellefonte borough manager Ralph Stewart.

However, it will have a new location.

“The big difference is the location,” Stewart said. “We’re going to set it up over on the ‘Figure 8’ side of Talleyrand Park, over by the Big Spring … that side of Talleyrand Park.”

Why the change?

“The main reason is that the ground is more level over there,” Stewart explained.

Last year, the rink was set up near the gazebo in Talleyrand Park. However, that layout proved to be problematic.

“The ground there wasn’t level, so part of the ice was pretty thick and part of the ice was pretty thin. We’re going to try it over there this time around,” Stewart said.

Another change is the rink won’t go up until after the new year. With December temperatures hovering around 40 degrees, the rink would not freeze properly.

The hope is, Stewart said, that temperatures will dip when the calendar changes to 2023, providing an opportunity to fill the rink and have it freeze evenly.

“They’re not going to do until January or February because that’s when it gets colder on a more regular basis,” Stewart said.

According to Accuweather.com, January temperatures will be in the mid-20s to mid-30s, which should be perfect for the rink to be filled and ice to form.

Stewart said filling the rink in December would be detrimental.

“There’s just too many days above freezing. Instead of having it up and then closed most of December, they’re just going to wait until … the beginning of January and go with January and February as kind of the main months,” Stewart said.

When temperatures are above freezing, that causes issues with the temporary rink, Stewart said.

“This rink does not have a refrigeration unit, which is literally thousands and thousands of dollars. They have no choice. The weather just isn’t cooperative on a regular basis in December,” Stewart said.

The rink took root in 2021 as the brainchild of Bellefonte’s Mark Dello Stritto. He and several Bellefonte businesspeople financed the rink.

At that time, he said there were two main goals for it: first, to offer the community a fun-for-all-ages, family friendly outdoor activity during the winter months in a beautiful local space; and second, to give people a reason to enjoy downtown Bellefonte and visit its local businesses.

Just like last year, there will be no skate rentals at the rink. Those wishing to skate will have to bring their own.

There will also be no concessions at the rink.

This story appears in the Dec. 8-14 edition of The Centre County Gazette.