Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Holiday Market topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council backs exploring holiday market options; staff cautioned seasonal ice rink would require major startup funding
Summary
Councilors supported expanding downtown holiday and seasonal markets tied to Townsquare Park and the PAC after staff and the PAC reported success with a pilot holiday market. Separately, staff briefed the council on outdoor seasonal ice rinks and concluded startup
Federal Way — Councilors agreed to pursue an expanded holiday‑market concept linked to the performing arts center and Townsquare Park and asked staff to explore combining holiday events with a larger farmers‑market footprint. The Performing Arts Center said it will expand its holiday market this year; councilors suggested tying the market to downtown activation and the festival‑street concept discussed earlier.
In a separate briefing Parks Director John Hutton and staff reviewed the practical and financial challenges of hosting a temporary outdoor ice rink. Staff reported that an outdoor rink that uses mechanical chillers, a covering tent and event staffing would require a substantial start‑up outlay and ongoing power costs. Tent, dasher boards, chiller, zamboni and skate rental — even if leased rather than purchased — push initial start‑up or first‑year costs into the mid‑hundreds of thousands of dollars; staff cited illustrative figures ranging from roughly $150,000 (shorter leased option) to more than $500,000 to set up a nine‑week facility. Staff recommended pilot or short seasons and cautioned it would be a better fit after transit access increases and when ridership and walk‑in traffic are higher.
Why it matters: A winter holiday market could animate the downtown and connect to seasonal civic programming; an ice rink would be a larger capital and operating commitment. Council members voiced support for the idea of a holiday market that runs during winter weekends and complements other downtown events, but asked staff to return with a budget, vendor plan and site logistics. Staff cautioned that an ice rink is feasible but costly and that success depends on location, power infrastructure and duration.
Next steps: The PAC will continue planning for a larger holiday market this year and staff will work with that team on logistics and site options, coordinating with the festival‑street effort. For an ice rink, parks staff will keep the concept on a watch list, collect vendor/lease options, and revisit if the city secures additional downtown activation and transit access.
Selected quote: “We were pleased to announce the return of the PAC holiday market,” the PAC staff said; Parks staff advised that a full seasonal rink requires a multi‑year commitment and heavy infrastructure.
