Booking the Ice Ribbon Comes First: A Winter Evening Around Grand Junction Plaza

The Ice Ribbon at Grand Junction Plaza lets 90 skaters on per 90-minute session, and you can only buy tickets online, in advance. Four of the places to eat and drink a short walk from the rink have opened in the last 12 months. In downtown Westfield this winter, the place you can't just walk into is the rink. Everything else fits around whatever session you book.

The Ice Ribbon opens Saturday, Nov. 21. Tickets went on sale Nov. 6, according to Current in Westfield's November events roundup.

Four winters in, the price got simpler

The rink isn't new anymore. It opened in November 2023, Current reported at the time, with Thursday-through-Saturday sessions that ran 90 minutes. That makes 2026–27 its fourth winter. The surface is Glice, a synthetic ice that needs no water and works in warm weather. Current reported in 2024 that the city paid just over $500,000 for the custom rink. City staff told the paper the first year went well enough that they added capacity and bought smaller skates.

This year's biggest change is the price. Last season, tickets for ages 11 and older cost more than tickets for younger kids. This season everyone pays the same.

Take a household of two adults and two children under 11. Last winter their tickets came to $44 before fees, and this winter they come to $40. An adult skating alone pays $2 less. It's a small difference, but it means you no longer have to keep track of who's over 10 when you buy.

What 90 skaters per session means in practice

The city's booking catalog caps every session at 90 people. The same page lists the house rules:

• Your own skates are welcome, but skates with toe picks are not allowed.
• Skate aids are free and go first come, first served.
• There are no skating lessons.
• Rental sizes run from men's 6 to 13, women's 4 to 15 and youth 10.5 to 6.

Last season the city also offered free ADA-accessible sleds, first come, first served. If someone in your group needs one, email the parks department at [email protected] before your session to ask about this year.

You can't just show up, and the number of spots is fixed. That gives the rink a different rhythm from the restaurants around it. Pick the date and time slot first, then plan dinner, coffee or ice cream before or after.

The skating calendar has two speeds

The Visit Hamilton County listing shows sessions on these dates:

1. Opening weekend: Saturday, Nov. 21
2. Thanksgiving weekend: Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28
3. Early December, Thursday through Saturday: Dec. 3–4, Dec. 10–12 and Dec. 17–19
4. Holiday week stretch: Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 21–23; Saturday, Dec. 26; and Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 28–30
5. Closing day: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027

Through mid-December, sessions keep the Thursday-through-Saturday pattern the rink started with in 2023. In the last two weeks of the year they move to weekdays. That follows last season, when the city added hours during Westfield's winter break. If you can skate on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon between Dec. 21 and Dec. 30, the calendar has the most openings then.

The catalog shows the times for each date, and the rink has its own site at theiceatgrandjunction.com.

Dec. 5 brings a different crowd to the plaza

Westfield in Lights runs Saturday, Dec. 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Grand Junction Plaza. The city's event listing includes holiday performance groups on the main stage, retail and gift vendors, hot chocolate, food and beer vendors, a Build-A-Buddy activity, and Ice Ribbon sessions for a fee. On a festival afternoon the rink still holds 90 people per session. Book that day's skate as early as you would any other.

Santa photos aren't on the plaza. Tenth Street Photography is running $15 Santa sessions at the Westfield Washington Public Library on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, each with one digital download. The city recommends registering in advance. With the library photo on Friday, Saturday is free for the plaza.

Parking is spread out for the event. The city lists the public lots at Park and Poplar streets, the parking garage at The Union, where the first three hours are free, and free parking at the library, 17400 Westfield Blvd. On regular skating nights, the rink catalog points to free on-street spots on Union and Mill streets and the Park and Poplar lot, with accessible spaces on Mill Street. The rink sits at the north end of the plaza at 225 N. Union St., near Union Street and State Road 32.

What's a short walk from the rink

Last winter, a skate session came with fewer choices nearby. In July 2025, the city and developer announced the planned tenants for The Union, Westfield's first mixed-use development. The list included BlackSheep Pizza and Cocktails, Stella's Ice Cream and The Spark Coffee. Since then those announcements have become real storefronts, and one of them already has a new tenant.

BlackSheep opened Dec. 8, 2025, Current reported. TOUS les JOURS took over the former Spark Coffee space. Current reported that local franchise owners Bong Jae and Eunjin Sung run it with their son, Jun Sung, as manager. For a morning or early-afternoon session, it's the closest place for coffee and pastries. Stella's opened July 1 under franchise owner Ron Watson, according to Current.

Sun King's grand opening at 133 S. Union St. was set for April 24, WTHR reported. Restaurateur Ali Awad runs both of its food concepts, Stacked House and Upper House Social upstairs, Current reported. Sun King's Westfield page describes the building as a two-story brewery and taproom with family-friendly spaces. For groups skating in an evening slot, it's the largest sit-down option on the walk back.

Black Orchid Barbers, also at 170 Jersey St., held its official opening Jan. 5 after a December soft opening, owner Travis Moore told Current. If your errand list includes a haircut, you can fit it in before a session.

A block over, the building at 231 Park St. has a new owner. In January, Greek's Pizzeria announced it would close Feb. 15 after its owners sold the restaurant and building. Co-owner Curt Whitesell told Current the buyer planned to keep a restaurant at the site.

Putting the evening together

1. Book the session first in the city catalog, picking a weekday date in the Dec. 21–30 stretch if you want the most openings.
2. Park once. On Dec. 5, the first three free hours at The Union garage cover a 90-minute session with time left for a meal.
3. Eat on the side of the session that fits the time slot. TOUS les JOURS works before an early skate, and Sun King or BlackSheep works after an evening one.
4. Finish at Stella's if anyone still wants something cold after an hour and a half on synthetic ice.

If a winter of skating sessions and Jersey Street dinners has you thinking about living close to Grand Junction Plaza, or about what downtown Westfield's growth means for the home you already own, Circle Real Estate can talk it through with you. We're glad to give you a clear read on the streets around the plaza whenever you're ready. Contact us.