Winter Fun
When the temperatures drop and the snow hits the ground, that means it’s time for some winter fun. Sledding and ice skating are two popular activities to do when the weather turns cold. The Naperville Park District has eight sled hills around town, including one at Wolf’s Crossing Community Park which just opened up this year.
“It’s kind of a park for all seasons and being able to eventually open up the skate rink and then the sled hill, it really makes it a winter hub and again kind of has that you know 12 months of the year – there’s always something to do at Wolf’s Crossing,” said Sameera Luthman, director of marketing and communications at the park district.
Ice Skating
None of the sled hills are lighted except for the slippery slope at Rotary Hill. Those making their way down can enjoy the sled hills until one hour after sunset, and until 10 p.m. at Rotary Hill. Though the time to sled has come “skating is a little bit different because it takes a little bit longer to get the ice rinks up and running and we do need several days of very, very cold temperatures in order to get those going,” said Luthman.
The park district uses a green flag, red flag system to let the community know when the rinks are open. “It’s really, really important not only for a safety perspective to keep off the ice when you see a red flag. But if you’re going on the ice when it’s not ready, you could ruin it and it could actually to get the rinks back up and running again,” said Luthman.
There are three lighted ice rinks at Wolf’s Crossing Community Park, Centennial Park, and Nike Sports Complex that are open until 10 p.m. The other two rinks close one hour after sunset. You can check to see if the ice rinks are open on the park district’s website.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.