SAN FRANCISCO’S ICONIC SAFEWAY HOLIDAY ICE RINK IN UNION SQUARE RETURNS FOR 11TH SEASON BEGINNING NOVEMBER 7, 2018
September 12, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO (September 12, 2018) – San Francisco’s favorite holiday tradition, The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines, returns for another festive season of unique events, holiday festivities, and outdoor skating beginning Wednesday, November 7, 2018 and remaining open through Monday, January 21, 2019. The opening day Icebreaker ceremony will take place Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. and will feature local celebrities and festivities. Additionally, The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink’s roster of highly anticipated events, including Drag Queens on Ice, Silent Skate, and the Polar Bear Skate will return this year.
“For more than a decade, the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square has been an integral part of celebrating the holidays in San Francisco,” says Willy Bietak, President of Willy Bietak Productions. “After an outstanding tenth anniversary celebration last year, we are excited to continue offering an iconic holiday experience in Union Square. Our crowd-favorite events, including Drag Queens on Ice, will be bigger and better than ever before as the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink enters a new era.”
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. through January, 21, 2019, with the exception of closing at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, December 31, 2018. Ticket prices for regular admission are $18 and $13 for children eight years old and under, with figure skate or hockey skate rental included in the cost of admission. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at unionsquareicerink.com starting October 1, 2018. Tickets will also be available at the ice rink ticket window in Union Square Park (333 Post Street in San Francisco). Group rates and private parties are also available at unionsquareicerink.com/corporate-events/.
The lineup of special events for the season are listed below.
Icebreaker Opening Celebration |Wednesday, November 7, 2018 | 9:30—10 a.m.
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines will open with a special ceremony to “break the ice” and kick off the holiday ice skating season. The ceremony will feature local celebrities and festivities, and additional activities to be announced at a later date.
Learn to Skate presented by Kaiser Permanente | Every Saturday and Sunday | 8:30—9:30 a.m.
Kaiser Permanente invites skaters with little to no experience to the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines to come learn from professional skate instructors every weekend. Lessons are free (including skate rental) to those who sign up in advance. Space is limited to 50 participants per day. Sign up at unionsquareicerink.com/plan-your-visit/.
Flashback Fridays presented by iHeart80s @ 103.7| Friday, November 9, 2018; Friday, December 14, 2018; Friday, January 11, 2019 | 6—7:30 p.m. and 8—9:30 p.m.
Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines celebrates more than a decade of outdoor ice skating by throwing it back to the musical hits of everyone’s favorite decade—the ‘80s—at “Flashback Fridays.” On the second Friday of each month, these special sessions feature iHeart80s @ 103.7 personalities on-hand spinning hits by Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Madonna, Lionel Richie, and more! Skaters are encouraged to don their favorite legwarmers and unitard, and come party at this totally tubular event!
Drag Queens on Ice Presented by Alaska Airlines | Thursday, December 6, 2018 | 8—9:30 p.m.
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines is never more fabulous than during one of the City’s most popular events of the holiday season—Drag Queens on Ice. Watch some of San Francisco’s fiercest Bay Area drag queens lip-sync and skate the night away for the ninth consecutive year.
Silent Skate Party | Thursday, December 13, 2018 | 6—7:30 p.m. and 8—9:30 p.m.
The popular Silent Skate Party returns to the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines for one night only! A silent disco on ice, Silent Skate Party transports guests from the bustling Union Square to a skate dance party like no other. Headphones will be provided to all skaters, who then have the ability to choose one of three stations to listen to as they skate the night away.
Polar Bear Skate: San Francisco Edition | Tuesday, January 1, 2019 | 2—3:30 p.m.
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines welcomes skaters of all ages to the return of San Francisco’s take on the popular Canadian tradition. In this version, ice skaters are encouraged to put on their bathing suit, grab their shades and “take the plunge” in the ice rink for this New Year’s Day Union Square tradition. All skaters are invited to kick-off the New Year in their chicest, wildest, and most inventive beach attire in hopes of walking away with prizes, awarded on theme, originality and overall appearance.
Sponsors of The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink
Safeway, Alaska Airlines, Eventbrite, Kaiser Permanente, Macy’s, Union Square Business Improvement District, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Parc 55 San Francisco, Galleria Park Hotel, Hotel Triton, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hotel Zoe San Francisco, John’s Grill, NBC Bay Area, BART, SFMTA, STAR 101.3, 98.1 The Breeze, 106.1 KMEL, iHeart80s @ 103.7, WiLD 94.9, Real Talk 910 and Telemundo 48.
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink Social Media Links
Official Hashtag #unionsquarerink
Facebook Facebook.com/UnionSquareRink
Twitter @UnionSquareRink
Instagram @UnionSquareRink
Snapchat snapchat/add/unionsquarerink
Ice Skating B-Roll Video
To download, please click here and save the video file to your desktop.
About the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines
Since 2007, the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines has delighted children and adults with a holiday-themed ice park located in San Francisco’s Union Square. Ticket prices are $18 for regular admission and $13 for children eight years old and under. Figure skate or hockey skate rental are included in the cost of admission. Ice rink hours are from 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. daily, with the exception of closing at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, December 31, 2018. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. For tickets or more information, please visit unionsquareicerink.com or call 415-781-2688.
About Willy Bietak Productions
Santa Monica-based Willy Bietak Productions is a full-service production company specializing in the development and production of high quality family entertainment. With a staff of award-winning designers, directors, choreographers and musical arrangers – backed by a talented production and management team – Willy Bietak Productions conceives, packages and tours international entertainment spectaculars as well as special events. For more information, please visit www.bietakproductions.com.
About the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department currently manages more than 220 parks, playgrounds and open spaces throughout San Francisco, including two outside city limits—Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. The system includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, golf courses, sports fields and numerous small-to-medium-sized clubhouses that offer a variety of sports- and arts-related recreation programs for people of all ages. Included in the Department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the San Francisco Zoo and Lake Merced. In 2017, San Francisco became the first and only city in the nation where all residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk, a direct result of the Department’s commitment to increasing and improving parkland in the city.
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