Freshly Painted, Silver Spring Ice Rink Opens for the Season

Silver Spring's downtown ice rink at Veterans Plaza opened on Thursday—earlier than any other outdoor ice rink in the Washington, DC, region, according to a news release from Tri-State Ice Management, which operates the rink.

To get ready for the season opening, rink managers this week painted the surface of the ice with white paint made of crushed sea shells mixed with water and limestone, rink manager Lance Curran told Patch. 

"The painted ice looks so nice, but we do this to also reflect the sun’s energy," Curran said. "Reflecting the sun’s energy is very important for outdoor rinks."

Even though the temperature on Thursday was in the mid-70s, chillers under the ice surface kept the ice frozen, and they'll make it possible for the rink to operate through mid-March.

The rink (106 feet by 57 feet) is open for public skating, with skate rentals, from noon to 10 p.m. every day, including holidays, at 8523 Fenton St., Silver Spring. A two-hour skating session is $8 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under and senior citizens (age 55 and up). Skate rentals are $3. More than 400 pairs of figure and hockey skates are available in all sizes for toddlers through adult size 14.

Penguin-shaped skating aids are available on request to help children skate.

For more information, visit SilverSpringIceSkating.com, or follow the rink on Facebook, at Silver Spring Ice Skating at Veterans Plaza.