Longmont Lights kicks off with the annual Tree Lighting at 6 pm on Friday, December 3, at 6th Avenue and Main Street. On Friday, December 10, from 5 to 8 pm, Roosevelt Park will host the annual Longmont Lights celebration with Santa’s Workshop at the Memorial Building. Enjoy carriage rides, hot cocoa and the warmth of fire pits around the park.

At 6:30 pm, watch the free Holiday Ice Show at the Pavilion or hear the All Star Jazz Band at the Senior Center. A pyrotechnic parachute drop will close out the evening at 8 pm. On Saturday, December 11, festivities begin at 5 pm with the annual Parade of Lights on Main Street. After the parade enjoy the Longmont Concert Band from 6:45 to 8 pm at the Senior Center. The park will once again host hot cocoa, firepits and entertainment, as well as a fireworks show at 6:30 pm. For a complete schedule call Recreation Services at (303) 651-8404 or visit Recreation Services online.

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The Nederland hockey club came to Longmont
to battle at the Ice Pavilion Sunday, February 28.

Here’s photos from the game!

The games start at 8am with the Mites and continue though noon with the Bantam/Midget group.

Come and see the kids work hard and have fun at the rink.

See you there!

Longmont ice rink expects 11.5 percent profit from 2009

By Scott Rochat
© 2010 Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — The Longmont Ice Pavilion is becoming a moneymaker for the city.

According to preliminary 2009 numbers (which don’t become final until March), the ice rink took in $146,956 during the year while spending $131,752. That comes to $15,204 of revenue, or roughly an 11.5 percent gain.

“It was just awesome,” said city recreation manager Jeff Friesner.

“This is becoming the place to be in the wintertime,” agreed Mark Mann, who manages the ice rink.

The 2009 figures reflect the last half of the 2008-09 skating season and the first half of the 2009-10 season. The season ends March 14.

The news is a welcome turnaround for a rink that once was on the chopping block. In October 2007, the Longmont City Council cut the rink from the budget due to its operating costs; at the time, the ice pavilion was making back no more than 60 percent of its expenses.

A new council gave the rink a second chance that December. Skaters didn’t take long to make the most of it. The rink broke even in 2008 and drew an estimated 21,000 people to the ice for the 2008-09 season.

“I would comfortably say we’ll easily surpass that figure,” Friesner said of this season’s expected attendance.

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