It’s a brisk November afternoon; December is just a weekend away. The trees are speckled with sparsely remaining leaves, most of which now gather along the edges of sidewalks and are tucked into alleyways, crunching underfoot. The steam of your cinnamon spiced latte dances out of the cup, warming your fingers. Every streetlight in downtown Boise is adorned with snowflake-shaped lights and pine scented wreaths have started showing up on all the doors and windows. You breathe in the feeling of the holiday season, take a sip of hot coffee and wonder how to spend your day.
Rounding the corner at 6th and Capitol, you hear the joyous sound of children laughing in the distance. There’s something fun going on at the Grove. You walk past the Basque Block, cross Capitol Boulevard, and make your way to the alleyway between the hotel and the Boise Centre. Before you reach the end of the walkway, the source of all that laughter and joy comes into full view.
Wrapped around Boise’s vast and iconic holiday tree is an ice-skating rink! There is a huge smile plastered on every face in the Grove Plaza as they Glide on Grove, fully immersed in the holiday season.
But despite how wonderfully it all came together, this project took a lot of work, planning, and collaboration. “When I arrived to Boise five years ago, I was told that the community had wanted a skate rink in The Grove Plaza for decades, but due to the fact that the Plaza is built over a parking garage, the space could not handle the weight of ice,” said Jennifer Hensley, Downtown Boise Association Executive Director. “Due to my previous experience working for Downtown Fort Collins, I knew that there was an alternative ice product that was lighter-weight and lower maintenance, keeping costs down.”
The partnership of the local community banding together to make a decades-in-the-making project come to fruition is also what makes it completely free to the public! Free skate rentals. Free helmets. Free skate aides. Free access to the rink. And FREE fun for all ages!
Jennifer continued, “The planning and fundraising for the rink took three years. The Plaza is a complicated space with weight restrictions and the fact that it’s not flat, for drainage purposes. Local contractor ESI took on this challenge. They told us that this was one of the most complicated projects they had ever executed. We are very thankful for their partnership!”
Glide of Grove will open on November 29, immediately after the holiday tree lighting ceremony. And this year promises to be even more eventful—more pop ups, more music, and City Santa returns! Last year’s rink saw over 30,000 skaters! How many can we get this season?
The Downtown Boise Association deserves huge applause for putting this lofty endeavor together. With a small staff of five, the local nonprofit organization helps to put on dozens of events annually, including Alive After 5, Tastes of Downtown, First Thursday, and Small Business Saturday, to name a few. Additional thanks to the many sponsors and volunteers that are a part of the Glide on Grove project including Blue Cross of Idaho, Idaho Central Credit Union, and so many more. Keep your eyes peeled for what’s coming next. There may be a few surprise guests this season…