The Historic Folsom Ice Rink Opens Saturday. The Quietest Weeks Come Before the Tree Lighting and After New Year's.

The Historic Folsom Ice Rink opens this Saturday, Nov. 7, at 905 Leidesdorff St., next to the old railroad turntable. It stays open through Monday, Jan. 18, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That's more than ten weeks of outdoor ice. The season's headline night is Dec. 4, the Community Christmas Tree Lighting, when Santa comes down Sutter Street before the tree goes on.

The rink's price list breaks the season into three parts. Per Folsom Times' season preview, fire pit reservations cost the least on "value dates" from Nov. 7 to 19 and Jan. 4 to 18. They cost more during the holiday stretch from Nov. 20 to Jan. 3, and the most at the 6 and 8 p.m. sessions on tree-lighting night. The operators are pricing for demand. If you live ten minutes away, that price split works like a crowd calendar.

How the Rink Splits Its Own Season

The two value windows add up to about four weeks, and they sit at either end of the season. Each fire pit booking covers one 90-minute session and comes with a group s'mores kit for about 10 people. Extra kits are $25, and skating tickets are sold separately.

General admission also changes by date. It usually runs $20 to $22 for skaters 10 and older and $16 to $18 for kids 4 through 9, plus ticketing fees. Skate rental is included. The season has two $12 Mondays, on Nov. 9 and Jan. 11, and each one lands inside a value window.

The First Two Weeks Are the Calm Ones

During the opening stretch, the rink keeps its regular hours. Sessions run 90 minutes and start at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Thursday through Sunday adds 10 a.m. and noon. Expanded daily hours, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., don't start until Thanksgiving break, Nov. 24 to 28.

The first two weeks still pack in a lot:

1. Nov. 7: Opening day, plus the first Saturday Learn to Skate class. Classes run every Saturday through Jan. 16 at 8:30 or 9:15 a.m. They cost $40, are taught by Team USA Figure Skating Team Leader Michelle Davis and some of her top students, and include skate rental and the 10 a.m. public session. Each class takes 20 skaters.
2. Nov. 9: The first $12 Monday.
3. Nov. 16: The first of three Princesses & Superheroes days.
4. Nov. 17: Grown-Ups & Gliders at 10 a.m. for one adult and one child under 5, plus a Lunch & Learn class at noon. Each is $40.
5. The week of Nov. 16: A Donate & Skate coat drive for Christmas in Folsom. $4 from each eligible ticket goes to the group, and you can bring coats to donate.
6. Nov. 19: A Thursday Learn to Skate class at 4 p.m.

The opening weeks also come before the rest of the district's holiday decorations. Historic Folsom's Christmas Magic Promenade, with lights, carolers and snowfall on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m., runs from Thanksgiving through New Year's. Santa's Cottage opens at Thanksgiving too. So early November is mostly just skating.

Dec. 4 Has the Most Going On and the Least Room

The peak window starts right as the district fills up. Thanksgiving Day brings a PJ Party at every session on Nov. 26. On Nov. 30, $4 from each eligible ticket goes to Twin Lakes Food Bank, and you can bring nonperishable food.

Then comes Friday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Community Christmas Tree Lighting fills the Ice Rink Plaza and Historic Sutter Street with Santa visits, children's activities, sponsor booths and performances by local schools and community groups. The event page says the 6 and 8 p.m. skating sessions may start a little late because of the festivities. It also says sessions fill up fast that night and skating needs its own ticket. The district's 2026 holiday sponsorship flyer puts single-day attendance at more than 10,000.

You can enjoy that night without skating at all. People who aren't skating can come into the rink area without a ticket. The rest of December is full of themed days, including Princesses & Superheroes on Dec. 7, Movies on Ice with "Elf" on Dec. 15, National Ugly Sweater Day on Dec. 18, and Rudolph parties on Dec. 24 and 25. Christmas break hours, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, run Dec. 22 through Jan. 1. On Dec. 31, a family Noon Year's Eve with DJ Elo comes first, then an 8 p.m. New Year's Eve Dance and Skate Party.

January Is the Part of the Season Most Calendars Skip

The promenade wraps up at New Year's, and Santa's Cottage closes Dec. 23. The rink keeps going well past both. Value pricing returns Jan. 4, and the last two weeks have a full schedule:

• Jan. 4: Donate & Skate for Powerhouse Ministries, with $4 from each eligible ticket going to the group.
• Jan. 5 and 12: Grown-Ups & Gliders and Lunch & Learn.
• Jan. 7 and 14: Thursday Learn to Skate at 4 p.m.
• Jan. 9: The last Princesses & Superheroes day.
• Jan. 11: The second $12 Monday.
• Jan. 12: A volunteer appreciation celebration with a figure skating show.
• Jan. 18: The final day, open all day for the holiday.

January also works for private bookings. Groups of 10 or more who book ahead save $2 per ticket. Full buyouts for up to 175 skaters cost $1,750 on select Monday through Thursday daytime sessions and $3,250 at other eligible times, and they aren't offered during some peak holiday periods.

What Saves You a Second Trip

• Bring a card. The rink is cashless all season. Lockers are $2 per session.
• Small kids can get help. Skate assists cost $15 per session for children under 12 who are shorter than 5 feet, 2 inches.
• Parking is free next door. The City of Folsom says complimentary parking is usually available in the 315-space Historic Folsom garage at 905 Leidesdorff St.
• Light rail works too. SacRT's Historic Folsom station is on the Gold Line and is wheelchair accessible.
• Expect weather. The rink is outdoors and usually stays open in rain, but unsafe ice can delay or cancel a session. Tickets are nonrefundable, though you can ask rink support to reschedule. You can also send a ticket to someone else by email or text.

Before or After, on Sutter Street

Several spots along Sutter Street are a short walk from the plaza. Fiori Italian Pizzeria is at 614 Sutter St., in the former J. Wild's space. Bella Maci is at 807 Sutter St. Ben & Jerry's at 711 Sutter St. and Fourscore Coffee at 604 Sutter St. cover dessert and something warm to drink. Ruby's Books is still at 724 Sutter St. this season. Folsom Times reported on Oct. 28 that the store plans to move in 2027 into the former Fire and Rain Gallery at 705 Sutter St., with a two-story expansion.

Local traditions like this rink are a big part of what our team loves about Greater Sacramento. If you're thinking about a move that keeps Historic Folsom close to home, or you want a local opinion on how Folsom winters compare with the rest of the region, Sac Platinum Realty is glad to help. Let's Talk.