Holidays On The River Opens At Tuscaloosa Amphitheater

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — It's officially the holiday season in Tuscaloosa as Holidays on the River kicked off Monday at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, featuring outdoor ice skating, horse-drawn carriage rides and other offerings, all with an eye toward promoting safety during a pandemic.

The ice rink at the amphitheater opened at 10 a.m. Monday and will stay open until 9 p.m. on its opening day, according to the online schedule of events.

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Michelle Smart, special events operations manager for the city of Tuscaloosa, told Patch that 2020's installment of the ongoing holiday event will actually see expanded hours this year, in large part to give visitors enough time to come in and skate while also social distancing.

"We don’t want everyone to come at one time this year, obviously," she said. "We’re open until January 18, so there’s plenty of time to come skate and we’re really excited to have an outdoor activity people in Tuscaloosa can do. We’re expecting a lot less travel this holiday season so it’s something you can do in Tuscaloosa with your family and not have to worry about safety. "

Smart said additional spacing will be provided for parties, but the ice-rink will be kept at 50% capacity and sanitizing stations will be placed around the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.

"About 80 people can get on the rink at one time and that’s still a lot of people," she said. "Generally, we don’t expect to have a capacity issue. If you have to wait for a moment, you can get a hot chocolate and hang out by the fire pits or go out on the trail."

Along the outside of the amphitheater, numerous Christmas trees decorated by sponsors and local businesses will provide an added attraction for visitors.

Admission is free to the public, but guests must purchase skate pass tickets for skate rentals and access to the ice rink. Skate passes are priced at $15 per person and include unlimited skating for the day, as well as skate rentals.

"This is the first city-sanctioned event since March and it's naturally distanced and outdoors and it's a good opportunity for us to do something for the city of Tuscaloosa," Smart said. "We're still doing private parties and birthday parties. We also have carriage rides scheduled and have done some preparation there, too, where you rent the carriage for your whole household."

For more information on Holidays on the River, click here.

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