SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA – There are oodles of rituals to make the arrival of the Winter holidays: the lighting of trees, the jingling of sleighbells, the playing of overtly upbeat Christmas music through 1,000 public speakers.
But there are comparatively few to make the arrival of Fall and Thanksgiving.
For my family, one such ritual has for years been the opening of the Kristi Yamaguchi ice rink at City Center Bishop Ranch in San Ramon. We’ve skated every year since the rink debuted.
The Yamaguchi rink is officially open for the season, and this year we returned again–but with a twist that made the visit even more special.
Fit for an Olympian
The Yamaguchi rink is named for former Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, a star of the 1992 Winter Olympics and World Championships who took home two gold medals. Born in Hayward, she’s also a Bay Area native.
San Ramon’s rink isn’t just named for Yamaguchi, either. Each year she arrives for its opening, and skates around the rink to kick off the season. A portion of the tickets for skating (more on those later) benefits Yamaguchi’s Always Dream nonprofit, which promotes literacy.
The rink originally opened on the Embarcadero in 2000–roughly the year that this reporter learned to skate!
After moving between several Bay Area homes, the rink officially became part of San Ramon’s holiday traditions in 2021.
Located in the corner of City Center’s parking lot, the Yamaguchi rink is large (and bigger than ever this year, growing by 8%!), beautifully maintained (there’s a real, brand-name Zamboni), and one of the classiest ice skating experiences in the East Bay.
To visit, you purchase a ticket for a timed entry, which gives you 90 minutes of skating, as well as skate rentals. The timed entries are nice, because they ensure that the ice is never too crowded.
Tickets are just under $25, with a season pass option for a bit under $100 that gives you unlimited access for the season. If you love to skate and live locally, it’s a great deal.
For little kids or adult skaters who want to get their ice legs under them, skating aids are available to rent. My four year old could confidently skate around on his own by using one.
The rink is on a raised platform, with plenty of space to put on your skates, as well as picnic tables and bleacher seats for non-skaters.
Again, it’s a classy setup–there’s big speakers playing energetic music (and themed music, like KPop and Taylor Swift, on special nights), a bar area with hot cocoa and adult drinks, and plenty of new-ish, well maintained skates at the rental booth.
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A Fiery Twist
This year, my family tried something new at the rink. In addition to the free picnic table seating, the rink added several fire pits a few years back.
Sponsored by Southwest Airlines, the firepit seating area provides a perfect spot to warm up between laps around the rink–and a great place for non-skaters to hang out while others glide around the ice.
In this case, we brought the grandparents, who delighted in sitting in Adirondack chairs around the firepit and helping out with the little ones as my wife and I took our three kids out on the ice for successive turns skating.
We even brought marshmallows and roasting sticks and made smores after skating. (City Center hosted us so I could review the rink–the Bay Area Telegraph paid for the smores!)
The addition of a firepit really elevated the experience. It felt like being transported to Tahoe or a similarly wintry destination, and the ability to rest for a moment in a semi-private space during the 90 minute skating session made it an even more pleasant visit.
Our morning session wasn’t too crowded, and the rink caters to people of a variety of skill levels. One guy was confidently skating around at a high speed, zipping around slower skaters and perhaps showing off a bit with sliding stops that sent ice chips flying!
He was fun to watch, but plenty of other skates clomped their way along or held onto skating aids or the side of the rink as they navigated the ice. Other than a few wet backsides from falls (the rink does get watery in the sunlight, especially towards the end of each session), I didn’t see anyone crash or collide in any significant way.
That inclusivity makes the rink feel like a great spot to take kids. The ample, free parking and all the shops and restaurants at City Center (as well as Santa visits if you’re so inclined) also make it a great spot to celebrate the holidays.
Now that we’ve done our annual visit, it truly feels like Fall and the Holiday season. But there’s still plenty of time to head to the rink–this year, the Yamaguchi rink will stay open until January 4th.
If you’re looking for something fun to do with kids over the holidays–or a unique date night–I highly recommend visiting the rink to welcome in the Fall/Winter season.
Check out the City Center website for hours, details, and ticketing. And if you visit, snap a photo and share it with us here.
