We know that everyone is eager to lace up the skates and get outdoors to enjoy one of Elk River's outdoor skating rinks, however between premature skaters and unseasonably warm weather, rinks will remain closed until further notice. Once temperature cool down, crews can begin rebuilding the ice sheet and hopefully have rinks open to the public sometime after the holidays.
Here’s a quick overview of outdoor skating rinks in Elk River. The City of Elk River maintains five outdoor skating rinks:
Handke Stadium
- Lion John Weicht Park
- Mississippi Oaks Park
- Riverplace Park
- Kliever Lake Fields
Handke Stadium has a warming house which is open weekdays from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m., and weekends, holidays, non-school days from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Public Works staff members focus first on Handke Stadium, typically needing about a week of ideal conditions (daytime highs of 15 degrees, nighttime lows of -5), before starting operations on the other neighborhood rinks. Staff hopes to have Handke Stadium outdoor rinks ready to go by mid-December, followed by the other rinks by or before New Year’s.