Six Vermont Community Ice Rinks to Skate This Winter
January 16, 2022

Vermont community ice rinks are popping up in every corner of the state. Skaters are lacing up at newer outdoor rinks in Peru, Greensboro, and Londonderry, while more established rinks in towns like Sharon, Proctor, and Rochester are as busy as ever.

Vermont community ice rinks offer an easy, affordable way to combat cabin fever and enjoy the outdoors. Here are six public rinks, many of them run by volunteers, to visit this winter:

-Skating in Rochester/courtesy photo 

SkateSpace in Rochester

Next to the local elementary school is SkateSpace, a local rink that opened two decades ago. “It’s one of those labors of love,” says Dean Mendell, a member of the Rochester Recreation Committee who helped create the rink in memory of a local girl, an avid skater, killed in a tragic accident in the 1990s. “This is one of the nicest little rinks out there,” he says, adding that the committee is looking for funding to replace the rink’s liner. SkateSpace is the site of the annual Winterfest event and home to a pump track for biking in the summer. (Main Street, Rochester; facebook.com/RecreateinRochesterVT)

Après Skate:  The Rochester Café or Sandy’s Books and Bakery on Main Street.

Peru Ice Rink

A group of friends who love to play pond hockey hatched an idea to create an ice rink on the Peru town green a few years ago. Now the 120-by-60 rink is open daily and is a hit among locals and visitors. Last year, volunteers—many of them members of the town’s fire department—organized a disco party for kids with music and a giant disco ball propped up over the rink. Maybe another one is in store for this winter? Fingers crossed. Open daily, weather permitting. (Main Street, Peru; instagram.com/peru_ice_rink)

Après Skate: J.J. Hapgood General Store and Eatery on Main Street

Greensboro Community Ice Skating Rink

In Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Greensboro Community Skating Rink is a new project between the Highland Center for the Arts and the Greensboro Recreation Committee. After skating, try the art center’s two-mile Open Air Gallery Ski & Snowshoe Trail. The rink is open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting. (Hardwick Street, Greensboro; highlandartsvt.org)

Après Skate: Open Air Café (open weekends only) at The Highland Center for the Arts. 

Sharon Community Rink

Located near the local elementary school, the Sharon Community Rink opened in 2012 with help from a matching grant from the State of Vermont. “Our goal was to reinvent outdoor winter recreation and create a winter town square and a place to gather,” says Steve Gagliardone, who helps run the rink. “Every year, it seems like more and more folks are partaking. Ice rinks have become a popular emergence in small towns in the last decade.” Open 5-10 p.m. weekdays, all day on weekends.  (School Street, Sharon; facebook.com/SharonIceRink)

Après Skate: Sandy’s Restaurant on Route 14 or The Worthy Burger in nearby South Royalton

Proctor Skate Rink

The Proctor Skate Rink—which doubles as a roller rink in the summer—feels more remote than it is, thanks to the tall pines that surround it. It looks like a pond, but the rink is an asphalt slab that the town floods and allows to freeze each winter. Open weekdays 3:30-9 p.m.; weekends noon to 9 p.m.  (Olympus Road, Proctor; facebook.com/PSR2018)

Après Skate: Franklin’s on North Street or Marble Valley Kitchen on South Street

The Rink at State Street in Montpelier

Skate in the shadow of the State House dome at The Rink at State Street in Vermont’s capital city. The rink first opened in 2017 and is welcoming back skaters this season after a one-year hiatus. Operated by the City of Montpelier, Montpelier Alive and volunteers, the rink is open Wednesday to Sunday, weather permitting. (State Street, Montpelier; montpelieralive.org)

Après Skate:  Capitol Grounds or The North Branch Café on State Street

-The rink in Montpelier/courtesy photo by Tina Hagen