As the holidays come to a close, so does the Midtown Ice Skating Rink. Having opened on Nov. 20, Its last day will be Jan. 18.

The placement of the ice skating rink was new this year, having moved from St. Rose of Lima Park at Seventh and K streets because of the park's recent renovations.

This new location had some businesses worried about how it would affect them since the rink's placement closed down 20th Street between J and K and added strain on parking. Though the new location added a little more traffic congestion, the location has proven to be an overall success.

Aja Uranga-Foster from the Midtown Business Association reports that the popularity of the rink has exceeded their expectations, although the MBA will not have accurate numbers on how many people came to ice skate until after the rink is closed, she did say.

“The rink has been able to pay for itself, and by its closing on Monday it will overshoot its original targeted revenue by about 10 percent," she said.

The MBA calculated that at the end of December a little over 18,000 people came out to skate, and with a few days left they should continue to have good results if the weather holds.

Uranga-Foster was excited to report that most of the community has found it to be a positive attraction as well. She states that The MBA received a huge response from local residents who claim that the rink has “helped reinforce good feelings of the neighborhood," she said. Though not every resident is pleased with the rink's placement, the overall feeling has been a happy one.

Andrew Ekstrom, the development project manager for the MARRS building, said he feels that the rink has been “overall a very positive amenity for Midtown.” He believes that the rink alone has attracted between 20,000 and 30,000 more people to the area.

The surrounding businesses echo his enthusiasm for the ice rink. Joseph Jay, a manager at Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, has seen an increase in families dining at the restaurant.

“The ice rink has caused some problems with parking, but it has brought in a lot of business on the weekends," he said.

Denim Spot owner Pete Hayes said he didn’t mind the congestion since he would rather have a parking issue than an empty street. In a way Hayes said he felt like having the ice skating rink placed in Midtown has allowed Sacramento to create their own version of Union Square.

"With the ice skating rink I have gotten a lot of walking traffic and curious shoppers," he said.

Hayes actually opened his store around the same time the ice skating rink went up.

“It is things like this that made me want to move my store to Midtown,” he said. “I wish they wouldn’t take it down.”

A few doors down at Luigi’s Slice, owner Linda Fuentes-Brida conveyed the same feeling.

“This is a very diverse community, and this was the key to bringing more families in, not just from Midtown, but from the surrounding areas,” she said.

The rink has even been fun for her employees since they have enjoyed going out and ice skating after work.

The next task will be the removal of the rink. Though it should only take about two weeks, the deadline for it to be cleared and the street reopened is Feb. 1.

The last day to enjoy the ice skating rink is Jan. 18. The rink will be open, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children and $2 for skate rental.