THE SAFEWAY HOLIDAY ICE RINK IN UNION SQUARE TO USHER IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH OPENING CELEBRATION ON NOVEMBER 3, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Julie Richter, Prismatic Communications
480.818.8022 | moc.snoitacinummoccitamsirp@eiluj

Tickets on sale now for San Francisco’s favorite outdoor ice skating tradition

SAN FRANCISCO (October 20, 2021)— The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square will usher in the holiday season on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. with the annual Opening Celebration to mark the first skate of the season. Set in the heart of San Francisco (333 Post Street), the festive event will feature remarks from San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu; Safeway Director of Public and Government Affairs Wendy Gutshall; and Union Square Alliance Executive Director Marisa Rodriguez. Entertainment will be provided by cast members from Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story, performing at Club Fugazi, and Lexis Verhulst, star of the award-winning Royal Caribbean ice shows. After the ceremony, families will take to the ice to ring in the holiday season of skating.

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. through January 17, 2022, with the exception of closing at 9:30 p.m. on December 31, 2021. Tickets are $19 with skate rental included in the cost of admission. Each skate session is 60 minutes long, occurring every 90 minutes. Tickets are available now and must be purchased online in advance by visiting unionsquareicerinkd.com. A portion of proceeds benefit the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. Private parties are also available on the Corporate and Private Events page.

The lineup of special events for the season are listed below.

Opening Ceremony | Wednesday, November 3, 2021 | 9:30–10 a.m.

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square will open with a special ceremony to kick off the holiday ice skating season. The festive event will feature remarks from San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu; Safeway Director of Public and Government Affairs Wendy Gutshall; and Union Square Alliance Executive Director Marisa Rodriguez. Entertainment will be provided by cast members from Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story, performing at Club Fugazi, and Lexis Verhulst, star of the award-winning Royal Caribbean ice shows. After the ceremony, families will take to the ice to ring in the holiday season of skating.

Learn to Skate presented by Kaiser Permanente | Every Saturday and Sunday (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) | 8–9 a.m.

Kaiser Permanente invites skaters with little to no experience to The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 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/san-francisco-events.

Flashback Fridays presented by 80s+ | Friday, November 12, 2021; Friday, December 10, 2021; Friday, January 14, 2022 | 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 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 80s+@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 | Thursday, December 2, 2021 | 7:30–9:30 p.m.

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 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.

Silent Skate Party | Thursday, December 9, 2021 | 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The popular Silent Skate Party returns to The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 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.

Polar Bear Skate: San Francisco Edition | Wednesday, January 1, 2022 | 2:30–3:30 p.m.

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square 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 ring in 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.

HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

All skaters must comply with current COVID safety policies. For up-to-date information about onsite safety measures, visit unionsquareicerink.com/covid-19-safety-guidelines.

Sponsors of The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square

Sponsors of The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square are Safeway, Kaiser Permanente, Macy’s, T-Mobile, Union Square Alliance, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, San Francisco Marriott Union Square, Hotel G, Galleria Park Hotel, Grand Hyatt San Francisco, King George Hotel, John’s Grill, Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates, NBC Bay Area, KTSFTV, BART, SFMTA, STAR 101.3, 98.1 The Breeze, 106.1 KMEL, 80s+, WiLD 94.9, PRIDE Radio and Telemundo 48

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink Social Media Links
Official Hashtag #unionsquarerink
Facebook Facebook.com/UnionSquareRink
Twitter @UnionSquareRink
Instagram @UnionSquareRink

###

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.