BETHLEHEM, Pa. - When Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks opened in 2011, it was more than a music venue tucked at the base of Bethlehem Steel’s iconic blast furnaces.
It helped transform the Lehigh Valley into a music and cultural destination.
Now, the space is about to take on a brand new identity for the holiday season — as a venue for outdoor recreation.
- An ice rink is being built at the base of the blast furnaces on the SteelStacks campus in Bethlehem
- The rink will include an authentic ice surface
- The new attraction will complement ArtsQuest's Christkindlmarkt, which will return for its 30th year beginning Friday, Nov. 18
Just after Halloween, workers began construction of an authentic ice rink that will cover the lawn in front of Levitt’s amphitheater.
It will be known as The Ice Rink at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, and it will be open daily – including holidays – beginning Tuesday, Nov. 22, through Sunday, Jan. 1.
The process of laying the ice started Monday, Nov. 7 with the arrival of the necessary equipment and should take about a week, according to ArtsQuest Communications Director Shannon Keith. Following the installation of base coils, water will be added and the ice will be frozen one level at a time.
"When they get to the point that the chiller — that's what allows the cold water to stay cold and make ice — once the chiller is running and everything is hooked up later this week then they just keep going. Within a day or two days ice will be there," said David Feldman of Herc Rentals, who was dropping equipment on site Monday morning.
"Generally they put down some sort of foam, then their mat, which has capillary tubes in it," Feldman said. "That connects to what's called a header at the other end, which is a 4-to-6 inch PVC pipe that runs across all these little capillary tubes."
Feldman said a refrigerant called glycol will be pumped from the chiller to the connected elements as part of the process of freezing water sprayed on the surface.
And while hockey fans and ice-skating enthusiasts are used to seeing Zambonis clean and smooth the surface of local ice rinks, the ArtsQuest rink will be cut and maintained by hand, Keith said.
Rink Management Services Corporation will oversee the venue’s transformation. The company will be charged with maintaining fresh ice throughout the day as the rink is used for open skating and group events such as birthday parties.
According to ArtsQuest, skating sessions will run for 75 minutes, starting every other hour at half past the hour.
Costs to skate are:
- 14 and older: $9
- 13 and younger: $7
- ArtsQuest member: $6
- Skate Rental: $6
- Group Rate (15 or more): $6 per person (not including skate rental) or $12 per person including skate rental
- Locker rental (optional/first come, first served): $10
- Skate aids (first come, first served): $10
ArtsQuest said it will try to open the rink every day, barring inclement weather or warm temperatures, and may have days where the rink will be closed if conditions are unsafe. That information will be posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Patrons will be notified of cancellations via e-mail and will have 48 hours to reply to switch their tickets to another session. Anyone who has not responded after 48 hours will be given a refund.
"It is an outdoor attraction, so if there is a weather-related issue, we can anticipate the possibility of closure," Keith said, though that will be done on a case-by-case basis.
"Sunlight and warm temperatures shouldn’t be that much of an issue," she said unless the Lehigh Valley sees an unseasonably warm stretch.
The rink will run side-by-side with Christkindlmarkt, which will return for its 30th year beginning Friday, Nov. 18.
Individual passes and skate rentals are on sale now. For tickets, visit https://www.christmascity.org/icerink/.
