Union Square Ice Rink Opens for 19th Season, With Brian Boitano on Hand
Olympic champion Brian Boitano praised the ice quality at the opening celebration.
By the Bay Area Brief staff · Edited by Seamus McKenna · · 3 min read
San Francisco skyline and Market Street at dusk, seen from Twin Peaks. Photo: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped, resized and color-graded). Archive photo of the area; not a photo of the events in this story.
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in San Francisco's Union Square opened Wednesday evening for its 19th season, NBC Bay Area reported. It is open daily through Jan. 18, with tickets sold in advance online.
Olympic gold medalist and San Franciscan Brian Boitano spoke at the opening celebration. He said he likes "the quality of the ice surface" and that it is "the rink that professionals would skate on." His tip for beginners: put your hands on your knees if you feel like you're going to fall.
This year, beginners can enter a lottery for a free weekend skating lesson, and the rink will keep hosting themed nights, spokesperson Julie Richter told NBC Bay Area.
According to the rink's website, skate sizes run from toddler 8 to adult 15, and skaters who bring their own get $5 back. Skate Helpers are available for beginners 48 inches or shorter, and lockers cost $5. The rink closes at 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Sources
This article is an original summary based on the following reporting. We encourage readers to visit the original sources for full coverage.
The day's Bay Area housing, business and neighborhood news, plus the world headlines that matter, in one short email. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
We use your email only to send the Brief. Details in our privacy policy.
SFMade opened its first permanent store Tuesday at 373 Geary Street in Union Square, featuring work from more than 100 Bay Area makers and a retail-training program for local manufacturers.
San Francisco's outdoor rink in Union Square opens Wednesday, Nov. 4, and runs daily through Jan. 18. Admission is $22, or $17 for kids 8 and under, with skates included.
The Ripple cofounder's grant funds drones, acoustic gliders and fishermen-led surveys. New rules could come by the 2027-28 holidays if the data supports them.
Nordstrom announced Thursday, Oct. 15, that it will open a 51,500-square-foot Nordstrom Rack at 2 Stockton St., at Stockton and Market near Union Square, in fall 2027. It is the retailer's return to downtown San Francisco after its Westfield anchor store and Market Street Rack both closed in 2023.
