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SAN FRANCISCO’S MOST ICONIC ICE RINKS RETURN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

August 28, 2019

CONTACT:
Regina Merrill | Charles Zukow Associates
415-296-0677 | moc.wokuzselrahc@maniger

THE SAFEWAY HOLIDAY ICE RINK IN UNION SQUARE OPENS ON NOVEMBER 6, 2019

THE WINTER PARK AT CIVIC CENTER OPENS WITH EXPANDED TRACK ON NOVEMBER 22, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO (August 28, 2019)— San Francisco’s favorite holiday tradition, The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines, returns for an exciting season of events, holiday festivities, and outdoor skating beginning Wednesday, November 6, 2019 and remaining open through Monday, January 20, 2020. The Winter Park at Civic Center, which made its debut last year outside of San Francisco’s City Hall, returns for its second year beginning Friday, November 22, 2019 and running through Sunday, January 5, 2020. The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink’s roster of events—including the highly anticipated 10th anniversary of Drag Queens On Ice, Silent Skate Party, and Polar Bear Skate—will return this year, along with new and exciting events unique to The Winter Park.

“We are thrilled to bring both of these wonderful outdoor skating experiences back to San Francisco this year,” says Willy Bietak, President of Willy Bietak Productions. “Whether you visit the classic Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in the bustling Union Square or The Winter Park right outside City Hall, there are events and opportunities for skaters of all ages and skating levels. We look forward to welcoming you to the ice to create festive memories this season.”

Since 2008, The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines has delighted children and adults with its holiday-themed ice park located in San Francisco’s Union Square. From families to friends, and couples to colleagues, everyone can enjoy ice skating in San Francisco’s iconic plaza surrounded by festive lights and the sights and sounds of the season. Novices and naturals, alike, will love the outdoor ice skating experience in the middle of beautiful San Francisco.

Modeled after the internationally-famed Wiener-project—an ice-skating rink located in the City Hall Square of Vienna, Austria—The Winter Park debuted in San Francisco last year as the first attraction of its kind in the United States. For its sophomore holiday season, in addition to the 60 x 100 sq. ft. rink, the skating track that weaves through the lighted tree forest will also be extended. This is part of the planned expansion of The Winter Park, which will continue to evolve as an adventure park on ice with new interactive elements for the whole family added each year.

Initiatives to make this festive winter wonderland accessible to the entire Bay Area community will return this year. This includes the Tenderloin Community Benefit program, which invites each child attending public school (grades K–12) in the Tenderloin district to experience The Winter Park free of charge. Additional details about these initiatives will be announced at a later date.

TICKETS

Tickets for regular admission at both The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink and The Winter Park are $18 for adults and $13 for children eight years old and under, with figure skate or hockey skate rental included in the cost of admission.

Tickets for The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink can be purchased online in advance by visiting unionsquareicerink.com or calling 415-781-2688 beginning October 6, 2019, and will also be available at the ice rink ticket window in Union Square Park (333 Post St. in San Francisco). A portion of ticket proceeds benefit the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

Tickets for The Winter Park can be purchased online in advance by visiting winterparkicerinksf.com or calling 415-757-0014 beginning October 22, 2019 and will be also available at the ice rink ticket window (355 McAllister St. in San Francisco). Group rates and private parties are also available at both websites.

HOURS

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink hours are from 10 a.m.–11:30 p.m. daily through January 20, 2020, with the exception of closing at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

The Winter Park Ice Rink hours are from 12–10 p.m. daily through January 5, 2020.

SPECIAL EVENTS

For the special event lineup and social media information of The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square, click HERE.

For the special event lineup and social media information of The Winter Park at Civic Center, click HERE.

SPONSORS

Sponsors of The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square:

Safeway, Alaska Airlines, Eventbrite, Kaiser Permanente, Macy’s, AMALUNA by Cirque du Soleil, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Alcatraz Cruises, Union Square Business Improvement District, Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Parc 55 San Francisco, Galleria Park Hotel, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Omni 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.

Sponsors of The Winter Park at Civic Center:

Eventbrite, Alcatraz Cruises, AMALUNA by Cirque du Soleil, Cova Hotel, Hotel Carlton, Phoenix Hotel, 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.

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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 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.

For more information and additional holiday images, please contact:
Regina Merrill | Charles Zukow Associates | moc.wokuzselrahc@sserp | 415-296-0677

Keep up with the latest – and coolest – news straight from Union Square, San Francisco’s most magical and festive ice skating destination.

For press inquiries, please contact:

Julie Richter
Prismatic Communications

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