BOISE, Idaho — The Downtown Boise Association on Wednesday held their 2023 State of Downtown event that highlights a year of accomplishments and progress in the heart of the City of Trees.
A lot of things were covered during the event, but none bigger than the announcement of the Glide on Grove, a new ice-skating rink that's coming to The Grove Plaza.
The skating rink will open the day after Thanksgiving, which is also the day after the holiday tree lighting event. The rink will surround the holiday tree that sits at the center of Boise's "most prominent public venue," and skating on the rink and the skate rentals will all be free.
The Downtown Boise Association said from the start of the project, they wanted to make sure this would be accessible to everyone.
"The only way we were going to do this project is if it was going to be free for the community,” Downtown Boise Association Executive Director, Jennifer Hensley said. “We know with affordability issues in the valley, and with making sure that everybody feels like they're a part of our downtown, this had to be accessed completely accessible. So, we kicked off the fundraising of this project based upon that."
The rink itself is going to be a 75-foot square space that will be able to have about 90 to 100 skaters at a time. The rink will run from the Friday after Thanksgiving through the last Sunday in January 2024 and will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
The organization also mentioned Wednesday that they still need to raise about $150,000 for the project.
“I am grateful for Downtown Boise’s vision and commitment to making this community-focused centerpiece come to life,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said in a news release. “The winter season is so special in Boise, especially around the holidays, and a great time to enjoy all that downtown has to offer. Having Glide on Grove activating downtown will give our residents another opportunity to get outside and be active, while also supporting the local businesses that make Boise shine.”
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