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Holland’s Ice Park reports 33,685 skate sessions in inaugural season, city says
Summary
City recreation staff told the council the Ice Park’s first year saw 33,685 skate sessions, 213 curling reservations and 8,219 hot-chocolate sales; officials said sponsorships and near-capacity bookings helped operations cover costs and promised a financial report during budget review sessions.
Andy Kenyon, a recreation staff presenter, told the Holland City Council that the city’s Ice Park completed a successful inaugural season with high community demand and positive feedback. "As of a week ago, we had 33,685 individual skate sessions booked," Kenyon said, and he reported 213 reserved curling groups and 8,219 single hot-chocolate sales.
City Manager Keith Van Beek told the council the first-year operations looked favorable financially, saying the Ice Park "is something that is able to pay for itself," and that the city will present a fuller financial report during upcoming budget review sessions. Van Beek, who introduced the presentation, also highlighted multi-year sponsorships that helped offset early operating costs.
Kenyon credited the recreation team for rapidly scaling operations, training roughly 35–45 regular staff and many seasonal hires. He said staff adjusted time slots and staggered session start times to manage pinch points at skate pick-up and to increase overall capacity. When questioned about language access, Kenyon said he would check whether the website had a tested Spanish-language option.
Council members pressed on operational details: how many skaters used a full session (Kenyon estimated most skaters used 30–45 minutes), how weather affected ice maintenance (staff replaced ice overnight after a weather-related loss), and the degree of school participation. Kenyon said more than 40 different school groups visited, with students bused in for day sessions.
Looking ahead, council members and staff outlined summer programming for the Ice Park facility when ice is removed, including yoga, music events and a hub for VeloCity Kids bike programming. Van Beek said the city would continue refining pricing and session availability to preserve affordability, noting the Sell Pre Scholarship program helps low-income residents access the facility.
The presentation closed with broad praise from council members for staff and volunteers and a pledge to return with a detailed financial summary as part of the April budget-review process.
