Holly Jolly Holidays 2023
The 4th annual Holly Jolly Holidays is making its return to Oxford this winter, capturing the spirit of the season with festive experiences that include visits with Santa, ice skating and a newly launched Peppermint Trail. To kick off the festivities, Visit Oxford is bringing the 4,000-square-foot ice-skating rink back for an extended time from November 18, 2023, through January 7, 2024.
So, how does Oxford get this REAL4,000-square-foot ice-skating rink each year? We recently spoke with Greg Pinion, Superintendent for Building & Grounds with the City of Oxford, to find out how it’s done. Greg shared, “It takes A LOT of water, a huge chiller, a chemical called glycol, webs of pex piping and a water sprayer. We run glycol through the pex pipes where there is going to be ice. We then crank up the chiller to get the glycol down to temperature. Then we manually, with a water sprayer, spray the coils for several hours to get 1 inch of ice. We like to have the skating rink with at least 2 inches of ice above the piping. Once the rink is made, we go every morning to resurface and check and add ice where it’s needed.”
The rink will be located at the Old Armory Pavilion on the corner of Bramlett Boulevard and University Avenue. Skating hours will be Monday through Friday 3 PM - 8 PM, Saturday 11 AM - 8 PM and Sunday 1 PM - 6 PM, although the hours are subject to change based on weather and private rentals. The rink will be closed November 23 for Thanksgiving and December 24 and 25 for Christmas. Skating will cost $12 per person and includes unlimited skating time and ice skate rentals. Skate aids will be available to rent to help skaters navigate around the rink. No advance ticket purchases or reservations are needed.
The annual Lighting of the Square will welcome Santa Claus on Sunday, November 19 from 6 PM - 8 PM alongside FOX Business’ Small Town Christmas. The show will aim to capture the magic of the season in Oxford, beginning with the tree lighting on The Square. The canopy lights, as well as the other lights around The Square, will be lit to signify the start of the holiday season.
New this year to Holly Jolly Holidays, the Peppermint Trail will lead guests to all the special holiday treats and promotions. Guests are encouraged to follow the trail of peppermints on the sidewalks all around Oxford to explore a variety of peppermint treats. From coffee to cocktails, sweets, and more – experience the peppermint craze along the red-and-white candied trail. Stay tuned for holiday surprises from local Oxford favorites, including various gifts and special treats. A list of participating locations is available at visitoxfordms.com.
“The holidays in Oxford have always been a magical time. Holly Jolly Holidays offers a unique experience to our locals and gives visitors an additional reason to come see Oxford during this festive time of year, especially with our new Peppermint Trail! We are excited to have the skating rink back again to offer everyone the best of the holiday season,” said Kinney Ferris, Executive Director of Visit Oxford. A huge THANK YOU to the Team at Visit Oxford and the MANY workers from the City of Oxford (Building & Grounds, Oxford Utilities, Oxford Police Department, & mTrade Park) for creating these wonderful holiday experiences for us each year!
