The Roy Raley Ice Rink will have special holiday break hours of noon to 8 p.m. daily, from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2. It will be closed on Christmas Day.

EASTERN OREGON — Holiday paintings often feature families ice skating together, and families in Eastern Oregon can get a taste of that experience at seasonal ice rinks in Pendleton, Umatilla and Enterprise.

Pendleton

For years, Pendleton Parks and Recreation has transformed the basketball courts at Roy Raley Park into an ice skating rink for the winter months. Pendleton Parks and Rec Director Liam Hughes said the ice rink stays frozen by pumping refrigerant through a system of small tubes under layers of ice. City staff begin by assembling a web of tiny tubes and connecting those tubes to a chiller.

“Initial step is a layer of base ice that has an additive that functions like corn starch to thicken the water into a white paste that forms the base layer,” he said.

“Next comes the slow tedious part of building ice, consisting of spraying a light layer of water on the ice, waiting 20-40 minutes for it to freeze and repeating. Depending on the weather, this can take around a week to build enough layers for the ice rink to be able to open.”

Once the rink is open, though, it welcomes thousands of skaters each winter when it operates from December to February. Typically, the ice rink is open weekends and after school; however, they do have special hours during non-school days.

The Pendleton Ice Rink also hosts scheduled events. For example, skating will be free from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 21 for the annual “Skate with Santa.” Santa will make an appearance on and off the ice, there will be kids activities and games on the ice, and warm drinks will be available at concession.

“The Skate with Santa is just fun for the kids. It’s a great, family, community outing,” Hughes said. “We try to do different things for different people.”

The Pendleton rink will also have free skating during its “Ice Carnival” from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 30.

The rink will be closed on Christmas Day.

Find more information, including on season passes and frequently asked questions, at https://pendletonparksandrec.com/parksrec/page/roy-raley-ice-rink.

Umatilla

Although the Pendleton Ice Rink is built with layers and layers of ice, Umatilla’s ice rink is completely synthetic. The rink is made with more than 100 sheets of synthetic ice and does not require water or electricity.

The Umatilla rink first opened last year across from the Umatilla City Hall/Library facility. This year, it’s been moved to Umatilla Marina Park, 1710 Quincy Ave., because the previous location had a slight incline that impacted skaters.

“I don’t know that everyone knows we have moved yet,” Noemy Vega, recreation coordinator, said. “We are trying to get the word out that we are in the Umatilla Marina this year.”

The Umatilla Ice Skating Rink is running on a similar schedule to last year: Fridays and Saturdays in December, then Friday-Sunday in January. During the week, the rink is available to rent for private events.

They also have a few “Free Skate” days on the calendar, including Friday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Jan. 16.

“Because kids in Umatilla have the day off, they can come skate for free,” Vega said.

The rink will be closed Dec. 24, Dec. 31, and Jan. 2. January events also include a “Mommy and Me” skate on Jan. 12.

Find more about the Umatilla Ice Rink at www.umatilla-city.org/parksrec/page/umatilla-ice-rink-20222023.

Enterprise

It’s a winter wonderland in Wallowa County, which means the local ice rink is open for business.

The Wallowa Valley Community Ice Rink opened Dec. 6. The rink, located at Enterprise Park, is a natural, outdoor rink. It is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, weather permitting.

There is no charge to use the rink. Skates — hockey and figure — are available to rent for $5 per pair for day use. Skates are also available for long term rental for $25 a pair.

The rental process is simple. Rental forms can be found at the skate shack at the rink — complete a form and place it along with payment in the black drop box located at the shack.

Hockey equipment is also available for rent. The rink is used for open skating, adult and youth pick up hockey.

The rink is open for skating except when special events are scheduled, such as Wednesday nights from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. for advanced adult hockey games. Anyone age 15 and older may participate in these games. Helmets are required to play.

The rink has a Facebook page which posts regular updates on the rink’s ice condition and whether the rink is open or closed due to weather.

Pendleton Ice Rink

Monday-Thursday: 3:30-6 p.m.

Friday: 3:30-8 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday, and school holidays: Noon-8 p.m.

Umatilla Ice Rink

Friday: 3-8 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday*: Noon-8 p.m.

*Rink opens on Sundays in January

Wallowa Valley Community Ice Rink

Daily, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

(7-9 p.m. Wednesdays and 9-11 a.m. Saturdays are reserved for adult hockey games.)

Changes are posted on the Facebook page