Skate rink brings holiday spirit to town
Nonprofit Celebrate! Napa Valley joined forces with Pat Merchant this holiday season to bring an ‘ice’ rink to Calistoga. The rink opened to the public last Friday and attracted eager ice skaters, both local and visiting, throughout the weekend. (Photo by Danielle Wilde)
Juan Luis Vigil Aguilar has lived in Calistoga for 25 years, but he had never seen an ice skating rink in town, nor had he skated before. Ximena Vigil Chavez, 11-year-old, had never skated either. That all changed on Friday when, for the first time, the father-daughter duo experienced Calistoga’s “ice” skating rink.
The rink, which opened at 1546 Lincoln Avenue on Friday, Dec. 13, was brought to town by Celebrate! Napa Valley and Pat Merchant, of Indian Springs Calistoga. The rink will be open until Dec. 29 with multiple activities taking place at the site including stands from local makers, winery pop ups and local food vendors.
“My friends told me there was going to be a rink. I told my dad to come. I like it,” Vigil Chavez said in Spanish.
Chavez said sometimes she and her friends walk to Cal Mart for snacks or they skateboard, but the rink offers a new activity for students and children like her.
“I had a different idea of what it would be like from what I see in movies,” she said. “It seems easy, but it is hard. I am thankful they brought it, and I hope they do it next year.”
Vigil Aguilar said they arrived at 5 p.m. and skated for two hours. Usually, the time allowed is only 20 minutes but due to heavy rain Friday night, the rink was available for just them. Vigil Aguilar said the rain did not discourage them from visiting on the first day.
“It is once in a lifetime. This is a really beautiful experience,” he said in Spanish.
Maggie Maib, director of Celebrate! Napa Valley said the planning began in October. The nonprofit produces events in Calistoga such as the 4th of July parade and the Halloween parade.
Maib said every weekend will have different activities. On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Calistoga Firefighters Association pledged to pay for the first 100 children who arrive to skate. If the firefighters do not have any calls, they will also skate with the children, she said.
The rink also received private donations from families who will sponsor children to skate for free. These vouchers will be distributed through UpValley Family Centers and by Calistoga Joint Unified School District.
Monica Garibay, parent and community liaison for the school district, said she received the information and sent emails to parents about vouchers, which are available from Monday to Thursday at UpValley Family Center.
Maib also explained that if someone wants to pay it forward and tips 20 or 30 percent, it can be used to sponsor children.
“So, at the end of each day, we’ll kind of see what we’ve got in tips and then see how many more kids we can give vouchers to,” she said. People who would like to sponsor skating opportunities can email celebratenapavalley.org.
“We have some really generous sponsorships that have helped us lay the groundwork for the project so that we could bring ice skating, or synthetic ice skating, to the community of Calistoga,” she said.
“I think anytime you can bring the community together, it’s fun. And I think that we have such a strong community. It’s fun to get everybody out and enjoy time together,” Maib said.
Sarah Fournier, wine club and events coordinator for Museion Wines was pouring wine at the skating rink for $10 a glass. The winery has been working with the nonprofit for two weeks, and Fournier said their company Christmas party will be celebrated with ice skating.
“I think it’s great,” Fournier said. “There’s not too much to do outside of wine, so this is a really great opportunity. It’s amazing what they’re doing and just having an opportunity for kids to learn how to ice skate. I chatted with a little girl who at first, when I saw her skating, she was pushing around one of the assistants, penguins. And then about an hour later, she wasn’t using assistance and was skating circles around her dad.”
The cost to skate is $10 for kids and $15 for adults for a 20-minute session. However, rink manager Jen Freutel said, “If it’s not packed, we’ll let you enjoy yourself. Skates are free with the admission. And then we do have some skate buddies if the kids need them.”
She added, “It’s important for the community, especially at Christmas time, for us all to be able to come together and be a community and have fun.”
