December 04, 2024
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Peru Washington Park ice rink now open

Green flag indicates the rink is open, red flag means it is closed

By Maribeth M. Wilson
The Peru ice Rink at Washington Park was set up Tuesday. Director of Park and Recreation Adam Thorson said the city hopes to have the rink operational by the Monday after Thanksgiving.

The ice rink at Washington Park in Peru now is ready for skating after cold temperatures have frozen its surface. This photo was from the previous week. (Maribeth Wilson)

The ice rink at Washington Park in Peru opened Monday afternoon to the public.

Park and Recreation Director Adam Thorson shared the news during the Peru City Council’s regular meeting.

“We should be open for quite a while,” he told the City Council.

Alderman Jason Edgcomb asked if the rink would remain open with temperatures predicted to rise into the low 40s Wednesday, possibly reaching the high 40s by the end of the weekend.

Thorson said with how frozen the rink is now it shouldn’t thaw that much and reminded the public that green flags mean the rink is open and red indicates it is closed.

The city set up the rink last Tuesday, as the forecast was in the high 20s for the week.

Last year, the rink never opened. In 2022, the rink was open for seven days because of the weather.

With temperatures last year reaching the high 30s and 40s for most of December, the conditions were not ideal for setting up the rink. By the time temperatures became ideal, it snowed, and city workers focused on the roads.

It has to be colder than 32 degrees to freeze the water, and it needs to be cold enough for a duration of time.

At the end of January, the city announced it was awarded a $600,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant, a program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, to make improvements around the Washington Park ice rink and make it available to the public despite weather conditions.

The city will match the grants with a 50/50 contribution.

In July, Peru aldermen discussed two proposals for the rink during a Public Services Committee meeting, saying a new rink may be installed as early as winter 2025.

Thorson said last week he has no update on the chiller unit at this time, and the rink is completely weather dependent for this season.

Mayor Ken Kolowski said the team wanted to get the rink prepared early this year.

“We’re excited that the weather is cooperating,”he said. “Hopefully, Peru will be the place to come for fun winter activities.”

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