A FLORIDA WINTER WONDERLAND: Baytowne on Ice set to open Friday for sixth year

The Village of Baytowne Wharf will be a flurry of excitement this weekend as it celebrates the reopening of its ice rink, Baytowne on Ice.

For five years the rink has delighted children and adults alike as it offers a source of unique and fun-filled entertainment and exercise not found elsewhere in the area.

"We're excited about the opening this weekend and we're producing the ice now," said rink manager Marc Crimmins earlier in the week.

On any given weekend, the popular rink might host 250 people who come to try their hand — and feet — at ice skating. And during the three months it is open, as many as 10,000 will enjoy, said Crimmins.

“People are shocked to see ice in Florida,” rink employee Samantha Swafford, 19, told The Log last year as a pack of children skated by.

She said most people who come to the rink have never skated before.

“Its fun to watch them learn,” she said. “Some catch on right away. And others, well, it’s usually the adults that have more trouble than the kids.”

The 2,500-square-foot rink is located inside a huge white tent inside The Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin.

The cost for one-and-a-half-hours of fun on skates is $10, with a $2 skate rental fee.

Each day prior to opening, the facility offers a "kids skate" time when youngsters can have it all to themselves.

Baytowne on Ice hours of operation are Mondays through Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m.; Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m.; and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.

The facility is available for rent for a fun-filled alternative for private parties.

Baytowne on Ice is open through Feb. 5 at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. For more information, call 850-687-1987 or email marc@baytownewharf.com.