What to Know
- Santa Ana Winter Village opens on Thursday, Dec. 9; the official opening ceremony is from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Ice skate at the outdoor rink through Jan. 2, 2022
- $12 adult admission (includes skate rental); $8 child (12 years and younger; includes skate rental)
If you've been going through holiday movies as quickly as you finish a bowl of popcorn (an ideal accompaniment to such lighthearted films, of course), then you likely are left with a certain kind of longing.
It's a lovely longing, but maybe a little tricky to fulfill. You're probably wishing for an outdoor ice rink, the kind that is often depicted on the screen, and a twinkly Christmas tree, and some other charming complements, like a trackless choo-choo or food trucks brimming with yummy bites.
But here's a sparkly stroke of luck: There are some special places around Southern California that are taking their turn as movie-like settings this season, with historical, oh-so-charming Santa Ana high up on the holiday list.
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And the city is ready to welcome a whimsical first, one that will give local families, couples, and pirouette people something to enjoy for a full festive month: The first-ever outdoor public rink.
That rink has its official grand opening on the evening of Dec. 9, and, if you can stop by, you'll spy Santa Claus, and, you bet, a train without tracks (a favorite of train-loving tots).
Food trucks will be at the ready, should you need to power-up, vittles-wise, for a spin or two around the rink.
But wait: Even if you can't call upon the sweet Santa Ana Winter Village on the occasion of its opening, you can visit daily through Jan. 2, 2022.
And you say you don't have skates?
Such quirky quandaries can prove thorny in a Christmas movie, but not at this real-life rink: You can rent them there. An adult admission, and rental, is $12, while kids ages 12 and under are $8 (which includes, you bet, the all-important skate rental).
Where to go? Right next to Santa Ana City Hall, at the Civic Center Plaza. It's a primo location that puts you in strollable distance of several restaurants and shops.
Santa Ana is cinematic and sigh-worthy on any day of the year. But when it enters a yuletide mode, complete with an outdoor rink and other uplifting sights, that's when, yes, a person can feel as though they've finally won a starring role in a sweet seasonal movie.
Remember your favorite mittens, and find out more now.
