By C.J. Hirschfield
Last Friday I witnessed something in
Old Oakland that I'd never seen in our city: dozens of kids, teens, and adults gliding, laughing, and occasionally stumbling around an outdoor ice
rink.
Magic? No – just the latest creative
idea born of creativity and civic determination. It was the grand opening of
the Old Oakland Holiday Ice Rink – Oakland’s first outdoor ice rink in 63 years
– in a space formerly occupied by a parking lot.
![]() |
Skating in the Old Oakland Holiday Ice Rink. Photo: Visit Oakland |