East Dundee warms up to new ice rink
By Erin Sauder For The Courier-News December 11, 2012 11:14AM
The new East Dundee ice rink next to the Dundee Township Visitors Center at 319 River St. sits ready for cold weather to freeze it up, and the skaters who will use it.
Updated: January 14, 2013 6:41AM
EAST DUNDEE — The Dickens in Dundee festival event held earlier this month did more than just usher in Santa Claus.
It also introduced a new East Dundee holiday attraction: an outdoor ice skating rink.
Village officials said the rink, located near the Dundee Township Visitors Center at 319 River St., will be open throughout the winter season, weather permitting. Hours are 10 a.m. to dusk.
“We had been looking around for things we could do for the downtown to bring something for the residents to do and thought of putting in the ice rink,” said Trustee Lael Miller.
So far, no one has been able to lace up their skates and try it out just yet.
“The weather’s been far too warm, but any day now we hope,” Miller said.
And the community seems to agree with his sentiment.
“So far we’ve gotten very good feedback and comments,” Miller said.
Admission to the ice rink will be free.
“It’s just something fun to do downtown, especially when all the kids will be on break,” Miller said. “Hopefully, it will be an attraction for residents and non-residents alike. And it’s such a cute downtown. Anything we can do to attract people is good for the businesses and good for the residents.”
The closest municipal rink to East Dundee had been in Elgin, where the City Skate facility opened in late November. The refrigerated downtown Elgin rink was closed in a cost-saving move last season but before that had averaged 5,000 skaters a year in the decade since in first opened.
East Dundee parent Kim Lessert said she was excited to see the rink go up in the village here. She and her daughter, Lacey, both enjoy ice skating.
“So having the rink here in town (is) wonderful, and we would definitely use it often,” she said.
