As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities. Christmas Eve Events: Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town: 1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo: FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento

The North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce may have thrown its annual holiday tree lighting a 21st birthday party Dec. 8, but even the adults who donned skates, munched cookies and quaffed hot chocolate eschewed the slightest trace of yuletide cynicism in favor of youthful Christmas-morning smiles. Hosted by Iceland, the men and women, boys and girls who laced up courtesy of the venerable Del Paso Boulevard ice rink, barely noticed when the switch was thrown, and pumped current through the strings of multicolored lights that formed the "tree." Those who didn't hit the ice themselves, found plenty of pre-Christmas cheer in picking out rinkside vantage points to watch singles, couples and en

Just off Highway 50, in a city far, far away, skaters are strapping on the blades and cutting wide circles around Sacramento's newest outdoor holiday rink. Maybe not so far away.  It's in Rancho Cordova.  It's beautiful.  And they won it. Last summer, Rancho Cordovans surprised everybody by racking up more than 2.5 million votes in a nationwide contest sponsored by the venerable Reader's Digest.  After weeks of online voting, and outpacing cities much larger -- and much smaller --  Rancho Cordova ended up in first place -- and holding a $40,000 check. Along the way, citizens of this city of 65,000 expressed what they would do with the money if they were lucky enough to win it.  In post

Kids were lined up and ready to skate on opening day of the downtown outdoor ice rink. A chill was in the air, adding to the feel of the upcoming holidays. "There's nothing that says 'holidays' better than ice skating," Michael Ault, Executive Director of the Downtown Partnership said right before the rink opened. And this is its 20th season. Skating was free today until 10 p.m. Located at 7th & K Streets in downtown Sacramento it is open annually seven days a week from early November to mid-January. The 7,000 sq. ft rink, across from the Westfield Plaza,  is produced by the Downtown Partnership with numerous sponsors. Here's photos from opening day; Generally, hours are 2 to 8 p

On Nov. 4, a festive Sacramento tradition will continue with the opening of the Downtown Plaza Ice Rink. 2011 marks the rink’s 20th anniversary of bringing locals together to celebrate the holidays on ice. “The rink will bring that New York City ice-skating feel (to) the heart of downtown Sacramento,” said Downtown Sacramento Partnership Marketing Director Lisa Martinez. The rink, located at 7th and K streets, provides locals with the feel of a big city winter. Martinez said that there is a painstaking process to turn St. Rose of Lima Park into a functional ice-skating rink. “It takes about three weeks, as long as the weather permits,” she said. The first step is to lay out a layer of

Dozens of skaters are expected to turn out Thursday night when the Sacramento Planning Commission holds a public hearing on Iceland Skating Rink's request to build a temporary outdoor rink. About 70 skaters have promised to show up to support a rink being built at the site of Iceland, which was burned by an arsonist last spring, said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Rob Kerth, whose family owned the indoor ice rink on Del Paso Boulevard for nearly 70 years. "It's kind of heart-warming to know that so many folks would like to see the rink open again," said Kerth, a former city councilman. The family is asking for a special events permit so a 13,500-square-foot, non-profit

Today marks the official Grand Opening of the Westfield Downtown Ice Rink! Cue the trumpets, cut the ribbon, lace up those skates, because the Ice Rink is back. The best part is the folks at the Westfield Downtown Ice Rink really like to celebrate the Grand Opening with everyone in the Sacramento area. So from the minute the ribbon Mayor Johnson cuts the ribbon at noon to the moment the gates close at 10 pm, skating is 100% absolutely free of charge. Free to get in, free to rent skates, and free to bring all your friends. The little ice rink that you remember has some surprises in store this year, because the fact of the matter is, it is all grown up. This year the rink is turning 19 yea

 Stories flowed Sunday as people got down and dirty to help restore the Iceland ice skating rink. People shared memories of old times as they carried debris from the ice floor and helped to remove the wooden flooring around the rink. Sunday was the fourth day the owners of the rink have asked volunteers to help them clean. Terrie Kerth, granddaughter of the late Bill Kerth, who built the ice rink in 1940, said the response has been unbelievable. When the project began, she said, the debris on the rink was more than a foot tall. Now, it's almost cleared, and the old rink will survive with some leveling. The wooden floors are being torn out and replaced with concrete. More than 100 volunte

A 5 Alarm Fire destroyed a Sacramento Landmark early Sunday morning. At 3:30 A.M. in the morning, the Sacramento Fire Department responded to a report of a vehicle fire endangering a building on Del Paso Blvd. Sacramento Firefighters arrived in about 3 ½ minutes and found heavy fire to the rear of the Iceland Ice Rink at 1430 Del Paso Blvd. Firefighters initially went inside the building and attempted an Offensive Attack, but quickly backed out when they determined the large volume of fire already burning overhead and the truss roof overhead which is a danger for collapse. The fire attack went to a Defensive one. The two adjacent buildings were spared due to the quick thinking and hard w

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 ex

Good Day Sacramento featured Keg Curling at the Midtown Ice Rink Thursday morning.  Teams from Harvs Car Wash, Golden Bear, Yogurtagogo, Comedy Spot and L Wine Lounge braved the cold and the antics of one Mark S. Allen live on Good Day for some fun, Midtown style! The Midtown Ice Rink is open through Monday, January 18th 10am - 10pm. Photo Credit:  Tyler Waaler - www.Tylerwaaler.com

Harlem Globetrotter Legend Curly Neal and Buckets Blakes will be appearing at the Midtown Ice Rink at 20th & J Streets Thursday, January 7th from 4:00-5:30 pm. Curly and Buckets will host a bowling tournament "on ice" where participants can enter to win tickets to the upcoming Globetrotter game at the ARCO Arena on Jan. 18.   Now in their 84th consecutive season of touring the world, the Globetrotters will perform their 2010 “Magical Memories” Tour in nearly 270 shows in over 200 cities in 44 states, the District of Columbia, five Canadian provinces and Puerto Rico through the first week of May 2010. The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their spectacular 2010 “Magical Memories” World

Sacramentans enjoy the final days of 2009 at the midtown ice rink on 20th Street next to J Street.  The rink, which was previously located in downtown on 7th Street next to K Street, will operate until Jan. 18.   Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m Monday through Friday.  Cost is $5 for children, $8 for adults and $2 for skate rentals.        

Join Santa at the Midtown Holiday Ice Rink for some Holiday memories on ICE! Santa's official photographer will be there to snap that last minute photo for Grandma's fridge of Santa and your little ones on the ice at the Midtown Holiday Ice Rink. Skate with Santa is from 6-8pm The Midtown Holiday Ice Rink is located at 20th & J streets in Midtown. For parking and additional information, log on to www.ExploreMidtown.org

The Midtown Holiday Ice Rink is the place to be!  School is out, Santa is near, the weather is great and the ice rink is HERE! Don't miss out on some festive Holiday fun for the whole family! The Midtown Holiday Ice Rink is open daily from 10am-10pm.  Don't miss a special Skate with Santa on December 23rd from 6-8pm! Photo courtesy of Tyler Waaler www.TylerWaaler.com

A crowd is slowly growing at the holiday ice-skating rink set up in Midtown this year. The number of people skating at the rink's temporary new location was initially small after the rink opened a week ago on a half-block of 20th Street next to J Street. Numbers began growing the closer it got to the start of the holiday season, said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association. MBA found a new location and sponsors for the rink to replace the rink usually set up at St. Rose of Lima Park at 7th and K streets, in front of Westfield Downtown Plaza. The park was renovated and a Carnival of Lights is being held there this year. The Midtown rink is hoped to bring in $200

Sacramento's holiday ice-skating rink is coming to Midtown this year, thanks to the Midtown Business Association. Members of its board voted Wednesday night to keep the palm-tree-studded capital's winter skating rink tradition alive by having an outdoor rink installed on the street of one the hottest blocks in town — 20th Street from J Street to the alley, between the Marrs Building's new businesses at 1050 20th St. and the Sacramento News & Review (SN&R) across the street. "The ice rink is going ahead," said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association (MBA) . The vote — nine in favor and eight opposed — illustrated that business owners are not in agreement on the

The Midtown Business Association is expected to decide Wednesday whether to take on the financial risk to keep Sacramento's holiday ice-skating rink tradition alive this year. The association is considering building an outdoor rink in Midtown this year to temporarily replace the seasonal rink at St. Rose of Lima Park at 7th and K Streets. That rink won't be built this year due to conflicts with a park renovation. Neighborhood input is welcome as the MBA board is expected to vote on the matter during its Monthly Board and Community Meeting, which is always open to the public, said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. at t