OPENING DAY — Skaters made their way across the ice at the Rink at Franciscan Square during its opening day, Wednesday. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Those looking for an outdoor winter activity can hit the ice at the Rink at Franciscan Square, which opened for the season on Wednesday with a few new features.

The ice skating rink is returning for its second year since being installed as a permanent fixture in November 2023. More than 10,000 skaters visited the rink last year, according to Phil Rook, director of real estate operations for Franciscan University of Steubenville, who was present when the gates opened Wednesday.

“It really exceeded expectations last year,” Rook said. “This year we’re really excited about the opportunity to keep building on that.”

The rink will be open from November through February, weather depending. Open skating hours are from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

All hours are subject to change. Party packages and private rink rentals are also available.

Special hours will be offered on holidays. Rook noted the rink will be open 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Regular admission is $8 for those 18 and older and $7 for those 17 and younger, while children ages 3 and under can skate for free. Skate rentals are available in all sizes for $5.

The Rink is supported by numerous sponsors, including title sponsor Trinity Health System.

More information can be accessed at franciscansquare.com/ice-rink, on the Franciscan Square Facebook page or by calling the Skate Lodge at (740) 275-8466.

Returning skaters may notice a new addition to the rink: The Igloo, which provides a covered area for friends and family to sit and watch. The Igloo is sponsored by the Steubenville Nutcracker Village, a partnership that Rook said rink staff is looking forward to.

“We’re hoping to work with them and emphasize all the winter events to do in Steubenville, especially the Nutcracker Village and Christmas at the Fort.”

Rook said the Rink’s presence last year was a major boon to the restaurants in Franciscan Square — a partnership between Franciscan University and local developers.

Now, Rubi’s Pizza and Grill is ready to serve skaters, as is Jimmy John’s, which opened in April and is now a Rink sponsor. The Harp and Habit, which opened in December, has its own “rink menu” and will serve guests through a side window facing toward the ice.

A “huge hit” last year was the implementation of weekly pond hockey, Rook said, adding that leagues will make a return in December. The youth league will meet on Saturdays, while the adult league — which is sponsored by The Harp and Habit — will meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Rook said the Rink aspires to expand its school events. Last year, special events were held for Steubenville City Schools and Steubenville Catholic Schools, with Jefferson County Christian School also having an event.

Long before the rink became a permanent fixture in Franciscan Square, the idea for an outdoor skating rink emerged from Franciscan University staff as a solution to isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rook said. Seeking to unite students through an activity, the university contracted with a company to install a temporary rink in 2020.

“It was such a big hit,” Rook said. “Father Dave Pivonka, (university) president, just loved the idea of providing a place where the community and the students and families could have outdoor recreation. Really, this is a community outreach of the university.”

Last year, when constructing the permanent ice rink, the pre-existing patch of turf was removed and not replaced after the season’s end. Based on community feedback, Franciscan Square decided to reinstall the turf once the skating season has ended, Rook said.

Preparation for Wednesday’s opening began four weeks prior, Rook said. At that time, the Rink overtook The Harp and Habit’s outdoor patio and saw the Skate Lodge lowered in with a crane, facilitated by Fort Steuben Maintenance and Bowers Contracting.

Soon afterward began the ice making process and rentable skate preparation. Just before the Rink opened, operations manager Peter Herrmann made a preparatory pass with the ice resurfacing machine.

The first skaters on the ice were 11-year-old twins Lucas and Liviah Cook, who were joined by their older sister Ellie, 12. The three were supervised by their father, Bob Cook, who recalled the kids’ eagerness to begin skating again.

“That’s all I’ve heard for the past three days,” he said.

The Cook kids were skating nearly every day last winter, Bob Cook said. That December was the kids’ first time ice skating, but they’ve since learned new tricks and even participated in pond hockey.

Also skating Wednesday were Franciscan University students Carlos Ramos and Sarah Carpenter, who said they’re glad to have ice skating available nearby.

Although Ramos isn’t as adept, he tags along with Carpenter, his girlfriend. Skating at least once or twice per week last year, Carpenter said the activity is fun “even when it’s raining.”