Holiday Traditions in University Circle: UCI Celebrates the 18th Annual Holiday CircleFest and the Opening of The Rink at Wade Oval

Posted November 28, 2011 in Press Releases

Experience Cleveland’s cultural treasures free of charge at the 18th Annual Holiday CircleFest and the opening of The Rink at Wade Oval on Sunday, December 4, 2011. These events are the perfect way to start the holiday season, and to introduce family and friends to University Circle, Cleveland’s neighborhood without borders.

From 1:00-5:30 p.m., more than a dozen of University Circle’s renowned museums, gardens, galleries, churches, and schools open their doors free of charge and offer an afternoon of activities, music, food, fun, and shopping. Visitors can look forward to live performances from talented musicians, lantern and ornament making, historic displays of holiday toys, storytelling, a singing Santa, live reindeer, the city’s best gingerbread house competition, and much more. Looking for the perfect holiday gift? There’s no better place to shop than Holiday CircleFest.

Outside, Wade Oval becomes Cleveland’s Central Park with free horse-drawn carriage rides from 1:00-5:00 p.m. At 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 p.m., watch as blocks of solid ice are transformed into breathtaking works of art with carving demonstrations by Elegant Ice Creations. From 5:30-6:00 p.m., the activities will conclude with The Cleveland Museum of Art’s dramatic Winter Lights Lantern Procession.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated activity of Holiday CircleFest is the seasonal opening of The Rink at Wade Oval. Admission to The Rink is free, and skate rentals are only $3. The Rink will be open from 1:00-7:00 p.m. After visitors have finished skating, they can warm up with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate from the Wade Oval Information Center.

The Rink at Wade Oval is open from December 4- January 29. Please go to www.universitycircle.org for more information.

To ensure that all guests stay warm, UCI will provide free shuttle buses that will stop at the different activity sites.

Holiday CircleFest is sponsored by Target, Medical Mutual, Home Savings, Marous Brothers Construction, Cleveland Public Power, and BJ’s Wholesale Club. The Rink at Wade Oval is presented by PNC Bank, and sponsored by Target, Medical Mutual, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

For more information on the 18th Annual Holiday CircleFest and The Rink at Wade Oval, call 216-707-5033 or visit www.universitycircle.org.