ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This weekend, the St. Pete Pier transformed into a waterfront winter wonderland as they unveiled “Winter Beach!”
Winter Beach features a 4,000 square-foot ice skating rink, made of real ice, which sits right next to the sand on Spa Beach, with a view of Tampa Bay.
“Winter Beach is our holiday fun fest, really, out here on Spa Beach at The Pier,” said City of St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman.
And ice skating isn’t all there is to offer. Winter Beach also features festive food, holiday music, photos with Santa, and a holiday market where local vendors are selling coffee, crafts, and clothes.
“We mainly focus on vintage, so we bring nostalgic things to you. Anything from the 90s, to 70s, and we bring the latest hype wear as well,” said Jimmy Sengchanh, owner of Premier Threads, and one of the vendors at the holiday market.
And if you’re feeling a little chilly after your trip around the ice rink, you can also warm up with a cup of hot cocoa.
“You can get hot chocolate, we have a full espresso bar set up, lattes, cappuccinos, iced and hot drinks, anything you can think of,” said Natalie Moore, a marketing associate for Kahwa Coffee, one of the vendors at the holiday market.
It’s the perfect family-friendly way to get yourself into the holiday spirit this Christmas season.
“I brought my wife and my two beautiful kids. This is the first time he’s ever skated, he’s having a wonderful time, and it’s a great rink, it’s a good set up,” said David Redden, general counsel for Power Design, one of the sponsors of the St. Pete Pier ice skating rink.
While admission to Winter Beach is free, tickets are required for ice skating. Those are on sale for $17, which includes skate rental and 75 minutes on the ice.
And there’s still much more to come on The St. Pete Pier. They’ll be lighting the big Christmas tree next Saturday, Nov. 27, which is also when you’ll start to see the lights at North Straub Park lit up for Christmas.
The ice skating rink on Winter Beach will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., now through Jan. 17.
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