Mitch Park shines with this year’s ‘Luminance’

With temperatures getting colder and the night coming faster, people look toward seasonal events to make the winter season even brighter. For students and locals, the City of Edmond offers events and activities to help get you in the holiday spirit.
Last week saw the opening of the Edmond Ice Rink, which will be operating for its 13th season this year. Located at Mitch Park, this attraction brings together friends and family for a traditional winter activity: Ice Skating.
“It’s just exciting to see all the friends and family get together just to have some fun on the ice,” said Daria Logoutine, the Operations Manager of Edmond Ice Rink.
Logoutine has worked with the rink since it opened in 2011, and although her family operates other ice rinks in Oklahoma, Edmond’s rink is different. In Edmond, the skaters aren’t just her customers, they are the friends, family, and neighbors that make up her Edmond community. Keeping it local and being able to enable winter fun is one of the best parts of the ice rink’s operation, she said. It is a place for families, couples, and friends to enjoy an outdoor rink that is hard to come by in Oklahoma, notes Logoutine. For some, the tradition of going to the rink has even extended into their professional life.
“The ice can have such an impact that some of the children I used to see skating here every year are now working here alongside me,” Logoutine says, noting that some of the people skating there this year may be working here a couple years from now.
For some, skating is a tradition; for others, a passion; and for some it is just a winter activity where you can have some fun and, hopefully, not fall too many times.
The rink will be open daily until Jan. 15, 2024. General Admission over 5 years old is $14 and children under 5 are $10, but discounts are offered with Military ID or if you bring your own skates. Hours and additional information can be found online at edmondicerink.com.
Later this week will see the opening of another Edmond winter attraction, “Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll.” “Luminance” is a walk-through holiday light display presented by Edmond Electric that also happens to be in Mitch Park, just a short stroll from the Edmond Ice Rink. The light trail spans about a quarter mile and features both 2-D and 3-D light displays featuring winter shapes and themes. The trail will be first lit on Nov. 17 and will be open daily until Jan. 1, 2024 from 5 to 10 pm with free admission.
“Luminance” will also be the location of the Merry Marketplace, which will occur on Nov. 17, the first night of “Luminance,” and Dec. 8 from 4 to 8 pm. The Marketplace will host a variety of food trucks, vendors, and even Santa Claus and some of his friends to help kick-start the holidays.
UCO’s campus will also be partaking in the holiday cheer, with Winterglow being hosted on Dec. 1 at 6 pm. Winterglow, an annual event hosted by student engagement, features the Broncho Lake lighting ceremony followed by activities inside the Nigh University Center which includes crafts, games, photos with Santa, and the opportunity to donate toys and coats.
Whether you are a skater or light-goer, there is something for you here in Edmond so you can take a break from the stress of the holidays with your friends and family.