Ice on the Landing Moving to the Choo Choo

The Ice on the Landing skating attraction will be back this winter, but it will have a new home.

The temporary outdoor rink, managed by local event producer Chattanooga Presents, will move from The Green near Ross's Landing to the Glenn Miller Gardens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Chattanooga Presents will continue to manage the operation. President Carla Pritchard said while the site by the river had some positives, like being good for the businesses nearby and the community, "It just wasn't the right spot."

Maintenance costs such as caring for or replacing the sod from the water run-off from the ice and foot traffic, for example, was expensive.

"And, the Choo Choo is a beautiful, trendy place these days with so much going on," she said. "They have the gas lanterns and it means no more portable bathrooms, an indoor place for birthday parties and they have Santa and the city's largest indoor Christmas tree."

She also mentioned improved parking and the Victorian look and feel of the gardens.

"I think it is the perfect place," she said.

The Choo Choo used to have an indoor skating rink located inside what is now Track 29, but it closed in the 1980s. Choo Choo President Adam Kinsey said he believes putting the rink in the gardens is a good fit and one that came together quickly.

"I think it all came together in 10 days or so," he said. "I think Ice on the Landing is an awesome amenity, and a perfect home for it is the gardens. We already do so much for the holidays, and this is a perfect addition."

The rink will be just slightly smaller than the 60-by-100-foot rink used last year. The new rink will be 40-by-140 feet. To make room, the 30-year-old concrete stage will be removed, as will about 20 feet of the gardens' hedges.

"I've wanted to use the space more, and this will allow us to have more of the green and use it for bigger events, after the rink is done." Kinsey said.

Pritchard said the rink will open Nov. 18 and run through Jan. 16 with the same schedule and ticket price as in 2015. It also will continue to be called Ice on the Landing.

"The place where passengers got on and off the trains is called a landing," Pritchard said. "It still works."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.

Dates Announced for bigger, better Ice on the Landing

SEAN PHILLIPS - Published on October 19, 2015 in nooga.com

Chattanooga's outdoor skating rink attraction was a huge hit last year, and organizers have announced dates to bring the attraction back for the upcoming season.

And it promises to be better than last year, with a larger rink and season passes for unlimited skating. 

Ice on the Landing will return Nov. 20 with an upgraded 60-by-100 foot rink. Last year's rink was 50-by-70 foot. 

The outdoor rink is presented by Chattanooga Presents and Volkswagen, and will operate through Jan. 18. Click here for hours and information.

Tickets are available to adults for $10 and children 12 and under for $8. The season pass is available for $100. Each ticket is good for up two hours of skating.

The large rink is located on Chattanooga's waterfront near Ross's Landing at 100 Riverfront Parkway.

Ice on the Landing is Chattanooga's only ice skating facility, offering "a unique, wintertime recreational experience to highlight Chattanooga during the holiday season."

Ice on the Landing is available for birthday parties and private rentals. Click here for more information.

Ice skating returns to Chattanooga riverfront

Ice skating returning to Chattanooga riverfront

October 18th, 2015by Barry Courterin Local Regional NewsRead Time: 2 mins.

Ice on the Landing iceskating returns to Chattanooga 

Chattanooga News

Putting a temporary ice skating rink on The Green at Ross's Landing proved so successful last winter, organizers are bringing an even larger version back this year. They are also opening it a week earlier, offering a season pass and lessons.

Ice on the Landing will open Nov. 20 and be here through Jan. 18, according to Chattanooga Presents owner Carla Pritchard. It will operate with evening and weekend hours until mid-December when school breaks for the holidays; then it will be open daily.

Pritchard said the upcoming version of Ice on the Landing will be almost twice as big (60-by-100 feet versus 50-by-70 feet), and will come with more rental skates, a bigger tent/staging area, a larger tent for hosting birthday parties and improved landscaping to better handle the melting ice and make the site look better.

Lauren Duke, left, and Kate Spurling are among...

Photo by Tim Barber /Times Free Press.

"We are moving it farther away from the buildings to get it out of the shadow of the buildings, which should help with evaporation, and we are angling it down the hill and adding rubber mats or decking around the perimeter to provide walkways and help with drainage."

She said upgrades include better lighting, three fire pits and more seating for people who want to simply watch.

Chattanoogans Becky and Todd Sharp took their children, Grace, 9, and Jackson, 7, to the rink several times last year, including a couple of night visits "under the lights," and on one occasion took a dozen or so visiting relatives.

"It was so much fun to watch my kids skate for the first time," she said. "It was also so wonderful to see the older cousins help the little ones out. We are so excited it is coming back."

Last year was the first for the rink in the location, Pritchard said, and her staff learned several things from the experiment. The first was with more than 30,000 people turning out to skate, the demand is there.

The second was how to do it better.

"We will have nicer landscaping, with maybe some Christmas trees and better lighting," she said. "We want it to look nice."

Chattanooga Presents is again working with Magic Ice USA of Orlanda, Fla., which will provide the rink, skates, tents and staff. Skates can be rented as part of the admission fee of $10 for anyone over 12 and $8 for younger skaters. The fee is good for two hours of ice time.

Gift cards also will be available for purchase. Also, the volunteer Ice Patrol, comprising members of the local roller-skate hockey team and other experienced skaters, will be on hand to offer tips to novices.

This year, skaters can buy a season pass for $100 that allows them unlimited time on the ice. Pritchard said Bill Matthews, who helped at the rink last year, will offer a four-week skills course on Saturday mornings from 8:30-9:30.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.