Southern California

Ice Rinks, Ahoy: Pershing Square on Cold Approach

Once Angelenos don mittens, the holidays are truly here.

The Holiday Ice Rink at Pershing Square always seems to debut the very week that chilly maps of the U.S. start popping up on our screens, maps laden with snowflakes as big as a state and words like "vortex" and "polar" written in icicle-type font.

But the funny and obvious thing is "polar" isn't meant for LA and there are no state-big snowflakes hanging over our hot heads. Southern California remains warm, or warm by comparison, but that doesn't deter ice skaters at Pershing Square: We want rink fun, we want cocoa, we want holiday merriment, even if it is 78 degrees out.

Or warmer. The 17-year-running ice rink, which makes its debut on Thursday, Nov. 13, weathers our sometimes brisk, sometimes balmy holiday season with mirth, scarves, and the typical touches of an outdoor winter play place.

Is there skate rental? For sure, since most SoCalers don't have a pair hanging by the back door. Are there brrr-worthy to-dos, like the Polar Bear Skate and free Winter Holiday Festival?

You bet. Just because we don't have giant snowflake icons covering our states on the U.S. weather map doesn't mean we don't like a frosty fun, even if we need to wear sunblock to have it.

Admission is nine bucks, skate rental is three dollars, and if you're there on opening day, you'll see Snoopy himself take to the ice, as is tradition at the downtown rink (Olympic silver medalist Peter Carruthers joins the talented dog).

As for closing day? Look way, way down the calendar: It's Jan. 19.

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There'll be toastier days between now and 2015, but will those mittens we wear out on the rink actually be warranted a few times? You bet they will, giant weather map snowflakes or not.

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