Port of Everett unveils seasonal ice rink on the waterfront

EVERETT — Visitors to Everett’s waterfront will now have a new attraction to look forward to each winter.

The Port of Everett planned to unveil “Pacific Ice,” a new outdoor ice rink, on Saturday at Pacific Rim Plaza. From now to Jan. 31, visitors can slide and twirl in view of both the waterfront and the port’s 35-foot-tall “frozen fountain” light display.

Port spokesperson Catherine Soper said staff have talked about hosting a seasonal rink for years.

“We are just growing the destination waterfront, adding new developments, adding new housing, adding new retail and restaurants. And we want to expand the offerings into the winter months with something like this (rink),” Soper said. “We loved the idea of bringing this (rink) down here, having it feel very whimsical where you can overlook the marina.”

The port’s first ever apartment building opened last May. And construction on two new retail buildings began in November.

The goal with the rink, Soper said, is to grow the port’s winter recreational programming while acting as “an extension of the marina vibe.”

The rink is on the south side of Hotel Indigo at 1028 13th St. It will be open 3 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. But from Christmas Eve to Jan. 2, hours will be 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets, including entry and skate rentals, are $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

Blue Line Sports & Entertainment will operate the rink. The company’s president, Joe Nichols, said the rink is an open air design with a tent overhead to protect from the elements. A rink-side cafe will offer hot chocolate and other goodies for sale.

Soper said the port’s rink is a 30-by-60 foot rectangle, about a quarter the size of the rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It’s real ice, as opposed to synthetic ice made from plastics.

To create the ice, workers sprayed water onto the rink’s floor, freezing one layer at a time before adding the next, Soper said. It took three days to make the ice. A commercial refrigeration system will maintain the ice through the season.

Soper said the rink will be a highlight of the port’s annual Holiday on the Bay. The free event noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 4 features a pop-up event with more than 20 local vendors and a lighted boat parade organized by the Mukilteo Yacht Club.

Julio Cortes, a spokesperson for the city of Everett, said the port’s rink will help make the city a “destination” this holiday season.

“I’m definitely going to go out a few times,” Cortes said. He has only been skating once before, which resulted in a few falls, but he’s willing to give it another shot.

“I’m not a great ice skater, but there’s only one way to get better,” he said.

The opening of the rink coincides with Everett’s Small Business Saturday, a day to promote locally owned businesses and the kickoff to Everett’s Wintertide monthlong holiday celebration. Pick up a copy of the Downtown Everett Association’s 2021 shopping guide for ideas on where to shop.

And save those receipts. Anyone who spends $20 or more at a local Downtown Everett business can email their proof of purchase to shopsmall@downtowneverettwa.org for a chance to win a $100 Downtown Everett Gift Card. The new digital gift card is accepted at more than 30 Everett businesses. One receipt is one entry, and multiple entries are allowed.

Copies of the guide are available at the Outdoor Holiday Makers Market. The market features more than 50 artists to shop. It runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Shops will set up along Wetmore Avenue between Everett Avenue and California Street.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, the lights of the city’s Colby holiday tree will be turned on. Stop by Colby Avenue between Hewitt and California around then for some cocoa and a visit from Santa Claus.

To learn more about Wintertide, go to visiteverett.com.

Eric Schucht: 425-339-3477; eric.schucht@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EricSchucht.