It's a winter tradition in Downtown Milwaukee, and our big rink (it's bigger than the world famous Rockefeller Center rink in New York City) opens Thurs., Dec. 3, with free skate rental from 5 to 6 p.m. and, of course, free ice-skating all night long.

This is the 11th year of ice skating at the Downtown park. This summer, as you remember, OnMilwaukee.com brought roller-skating to the venue too. We hope to expand this offering in 2010.

For ice-skating Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St., offers a picturesque backdrop of Downtown, a warming house and a Starbucks. Skate rentals this season will again be available daily for $6.

The rink's regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 2-8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11a.m.-11 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

The Downtown ice skating season usually runs through mid-March.