Carrollton on Ice opens its third season on Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Polar Pavilion in East Carrollton Park. It runs through Jan. 18, 2027, and tickets are still $10 with skate rental included. Two years after the city first put real ice under that pavilion, the rink has become more than a skating option. It is one of two places where Carrollton's Christmas happens. Adamson Square is the other.
The shift shows most clearly on Saturday, Dec. 5. The Merry Market runs at the rink in the morning. In the afternoon the day moves downtown, and the rink closes at 5 p.m. so the city can hold its Christmas parade on the square. The schedule below explains how that split came about and how the season fits around it.
The Market That Left the Depot
The rink began as a city experiment. When it first opened in December 2024, Parks and Recreation director John Layng told the Times-Georgian that the goal was "to offer something during the holiday season that we haven't done before." The same story reported that the department spent five months getting ready. The city rented the rink from Precision Ice, which city marketing and communications director April Saunders said was chosen in part because "they had a rink that was actual ice." A separate Times-Georgian report said the attraction was paid for with hotel-room lodging tax revenue.
The bigger change for the season came in one line of that first story. Layng said the Christmas market "that's usually handled down at the Train Depot" would move to the ice rink. That first year it ran on Saturday, Dec. 14, from noon to 5 p.m., with 22 vendors that included Hannah Griffin Art, Laurel Rose Co. and UWG.
The market never went back downtown. The city's 2026 Christmas page lists the Merry Market at the Polar Pavilion, and the parade and kids' activities stay on Adamson Square. One of the downtown season's anchor events now has a permanent home about where the skaters are.
Three Seasons, Each One Longer
The rink has also stretched the calendar. Each season has opened earlier or closed later than the one before.
| Season | Public run | Length | Merry Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Dec. 7 to Jan. 12 | 37 days | Sat., Dec. 14, noon to 5 p.m. |
| 2025–26 | Nov. 24 to Jan. 11 | 49 days | Sat., Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 2026–27 | Nov. 28 to Jan. 18 | 52 days | Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
Last year's change was physical too. The City Menus described the 2025–26 rink as "newly expanded," with a spectator section added for people who wanted to watch. The price has stayed at $10 throughout, and watching from the side was free in the first season. This year the Nov. 28 opening lands on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, a week before the parade, and the season runs well past New Year's.
How the Rink Week Works This Year
The longer season keeps the same basic weekly pattern. Public skating happens late in the week, and the start of the week is mostly held for private groups. The city's posted calendar for December 2026 lays it out like this:
- Monday through Wednesday: private rentals only
- Thursday and Friday: 3 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday: noon to 8 p.m.
- Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m., with private rentals after 5
- Dec. 21 to 23 and Dec. 28 to 30: noon to 8 p.m. while school is out
- Dec. 24 and 25: closed
- Dec. 31: noon to 5 p.m.
Opening weekend has its own hours. The rink is open noon to 8 p.m. on Nov. 28 and 1 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 29, and Nov. 30 is private rentals only. The rink is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It closes at 5 p.m. on Dec. 5 for the parade and again at 5 p.m. from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 for New Year's.
A few practical details from the city's Carrollton on Ice page matter before you leave the house:
- Payment is by card only, at the rink.
- Rental skates run from youth size 13 to adult size 12. A small number of double-blade skates are available for younger kids, and you can bring your own skates.
- Children 12 and under must be with an adult, and no one is allowed on the ice without skates.
- Enter at the main East Carrollton Rec entrance by the skate park, then drive past the baseball and soccer fields. Free parking next to the rink is straight ahead.
Private rentals run Sundays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Wednesday from either 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Drey Arnold handles bookings at 770-834-1127. The city says food trucks will be on site Fridays and Saturdays. The vendor lineup posted on the page so far matches last season's calendar, so plan on confirming before counting on a specific truck.
December 5 Is the Day the Two Centers Meet
The Merry Market at the rink and the downtown parade now share a date, and the city has set the rink's hours to step aside for the parade. On Dec. 5 the day starts at East Carrollton Park and ends on the square.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Merry Market | Polar Pavilion, East Carrollton Park |
| 2 p.m. | Tuba Christmas | The Amp, downtown |
| 4 p.m. | Kids' Christmas crafts | Adamson Square, under the giant snowflake |
| 5 p.m. | Rink closes for the day | East Carrollton Park |
| 5:30 p.m. | Christmas Parade, "Christmas at the Movies" | Bradley St. to Adamson Square to Rome St. |
| 7:30 p.m. | Holmes for the Holidays | Carrollton Center for the Arts |
The Merry Market will feature gift vendors, local artists and creators. The city will announce vendors once applications close. Downtown, Tuba Christmas brings tuba players from around the area to play traditional carols at the Amp. During the 4 p.m. crafts, the Carrollton Police trailer serves hot chocolate. Santa's mailbox will also be downtown for wish lists. The city also plans to show the SEC Championship game at the Amp and asks viewers to bring chairs. That start time is still listed as TBA.
The parade starts on Bradley Street near Minden Avenue and heads north through Adamson Square. It continues down Rome Street and ends at the Spring Street intersection by Neva Lomason Library. This year's theme, "Christmas at the Movies," follows "12 Days of Christmas" in 2025 and "The Nutcracker" in 2024. Under the 2026 parade rules, participants may not throw or hand out candy and may not use confetti. Families who bring kids expecting a candy haul should know ahead of time.
The Rest of the Season, In Order
The calendar around Dec. 5 follows the same pattern. Skating events fill in around the downtown arts schedule:
- Through Dec. 14: Small Packages, a gift-art exhibition at the Carrollton Center for the Arts, with an opening reception Nov. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.
- Nov. 20 to 22: The Nutcracker at the Center for the Arts, with 7 p.m. shows on Nov. 20 and 21 and 2 p.m. matinees on Nov. 21 and 22.
- Nov. 23 to 25: A three-day Mini Ice Skating Camp, $30 total, 10 a.m. for ages 7 to 9 and 11 a.m. for ages 10 to 12, with registration on Otto. Kids need long pants and gloves, and the 7 to 9 group needs bike helmets. These dates come before the Nov. 28 public opening, so call Carrollton Parks and Rec at 770-832-1161 to confirm before registering.
- Nov. 28: Carrollton on Ice opens, noon to 8 p.m.
- Dec. 1 to 4: Winter West Wonderland at the University of West Georgia Campus Center, 4 to 8 p.m. nightly. It includes lighted displays made by students, a holiday market, and photos with Santa and Winter Wolfie.
- Dec. 4 to 6: Holmes for the Holidays at the Center for the Arts.
- Dec. 5: Merry Market, Tuba Christmas and the parade, as laid out above.
- Dec. 11: Home Alone 2 at the Amp, 7 to 9 p.m., free on Adamson Square.
- Dec. 11 and 12: Christmas in Carrollton, a Community Chorus performance at the Center for the Arts.
- Dec. 12: Skate with the Grinch & Cindy Lou at the rink, 4 to 6 p.m.
- Dec. 15 and 17: The Wind Ensemble Christmas Concert, then A Swingin' Christmas with CJO, both at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts.
- Jan. 18, 2027: The rink's last day of the season.
Dec. 11 and 12 come close to a second Dec. 5. A free movie and a chorus concert are downtown on Friday night, and the Grinch skate is at East Carrollton Park on Saturday afternoon. The chorus also has a 7:30 p.m. Saturday show, so families can fit in the rink and the Center for the Arts on the same day without either one cutting into the other.
Josh Jennings keeps track of changes like the Polar Pavilion's growing role across Carrollton and West Georgia. If East Carrollton Park or Adamson Square figures into your plans in Carrollton, Schedule Your Free Consultation.
