The Veranda Ice Skating Rink - December 12, 2017

For today’s #TinaTuesday I chose a Chamber Member that I wanted to learn more about, and the “attraction” that is brand new to our area.  I am speaking of the newly opened Veranda Ice Skating Rink.  So, last night I visited the Ice Skating Rink, located next to the amazing “Bellagioesque” fountain (check out my video), and the state of the art Luxe Cinema & IMAX theater.   Boy was I wowed!  First off, I sat down with Stephanie Stierwalt from “Ice Rink Events” who manages the Veranda ice skating rink, and got the low down on what went into building the ice rink, what it takes to maintain it, and how much joy people are getting out of it.  Learning about what goes into building an ice skating rink was fascinating.  Allow me to share.  It took about four days to freeze the entire rink, but even that’s a process.  After the first layer freezes, they flood the rink with water and then someone goes around the whole rink and fractures the ice, allowing the water to seep into those cracks and freeze making for a really strong base of ice.  They do this many times until the ice is thick enough and strong enough for an ice skating rink.  Under the ice are a plethora of 4 inch pipes that maintain a continual flow of anti-freeze (who knew).  Stephanie monitors the ice constantly, adjusting the temperature when needed based on the weather conditions of the day.  The ice skating rink opened on December 6^th, the same day as the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting of the Veranda (see pic), and they will be open through February 18, 2018 (btw, they are the only ice rink that stays open that late in the season).  They are open 7 days a week, and starting this Saturday their hours of operation will be 12-10pm (Sun-Thurs), and 12-11pm (Fri & Sat).  They will even be open on Christmas Day (12-6pm) and New Year’s Day (12-6pm).  General admission is $14/person regardless of age, but they have specials on certain nights of the week.  Monday is “Locals Night” and admission is $10/person, Wednesday is “Family 4 Pack” and admission is $35 for a family of 4, and lastly Thursday, which is “Cheap Skate Night” (very clever), and admission is 2 for the price of 1.  Something else I thought was pretty clever, “Ice Rink Events” manufactured these amazing two bladed skates for kids, so if your kid can walk, they can give it a go at ice skating too (that’s a video right there).  I’m thinking I’ve got a new activity to get my kid off the Xbox (not the 2 bladed skates, ice skating in general.  He’d kill me if he thought I was suggesting 2 bladed skates for him.)  😉In addition to the ice skating rink, here are a couple of other fun facts GM Ashton Simmons shared with me about the Veranda that you may not know…

• There is a musically choreographed, $1.7 million water feature.  The fountain is located directly across from the first luxury theater in the area. The entertainment show fountain consists of 20 arching jets in a ring that can be programmed to create a basket weave pattern, open floral shape, thirty-three vertical jets, and a multitude of other effects, and can independently change height fluidly from zero to 30 feet. Each jet has its own dedicated light system, resulting in a capability to create more than two million different colors during the show choreographed to individual songs such as the community’s selection for the Grand Opening, Bohemian Rhapsody. 
• The new LUXE Theater consists of…
  • 10 auditoriums with Luxury Electric Seats
  • IMAX auditorium with an 80 foot wide by 4 stories tall screen
  • All 9 auditoriums feature Dolby ATMOS and GS(Giant Screen) (BTW, this is the first theater to have this amazing sound system in all of their cinematic theaters)
  • Convenient Reserved Seating for every showing
  • Full Bar, plush Cocktail Lounge and Outdoor Patio to enjoy before or after your movie.
  • Full menu and Full Service available to every seat in the building.  
  • You can even host a private event or intimate party!