Quayle’s Brewery opened its new skating rink to the public on Friday.
The 40-foot by 60-foot rink is equipped with lights for night skating and will be open during business hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Catherine Pearson, owner of the Coldwater brewery, says the idea for the rink springs from a desire to keep community members active and engaged during lockdown restrictions.
“We have had many challenges with being shut down and we wanted to let people come out and enjoy our outdoor space and the four seasons. So, we decided to build a skating rink,” she said.
“It’s very close to our patio so people can see it and enjoy it while enjoying our property, our beer, and our food.”
Pearson says there is no payment necessary to use the rink, but children under the age of 13 should wear helmets and be supervised by an adult. There is also no hockey permitted on the rink, and skaters must provide their own skates.
After being open for one day, Pearson says there has been nothing but great feedback from those who have used the rink.
“We had lots of activity today on our social media, so I think we are going to have a busy weekend here. Even though it was minus 25 today our patio was quite busy, and the skating rink had some families on it,” she said.
Pearson says the rink will be open as long as the weather allows for it, noting the region has been blessed with perfect ice-making weather over the last couple of weeks.
“It’s been ideal for making the ice. It did take us a little while to get it open because it was mild a few weeks ago, but it’s been nice and cold since,” she said.
Quayle’s is also working with local ski hills to become a base camp for skiers to start and finish their day at the brewery.
“We just want to give people things to do. We think people are anxious to get outside and get active,” she said.
For more information and daily updates about the rink, follow Quayle’s Brewery on Instagram. For hours of operation, click here.
