Ice Skating in Orange County

This weekend our family will be celebrating winter in Orange County by enjoying one of the many ice skating rinks in Orange County. In the last few years, Orange County has added a few new rinks that we can enjoy. Although we do not have the snow that winter brings to our norther neighbors, we can still enjoy some of the winter activities such as ice skating.

Here are a list of the ice skating rinks in Orange County.

Ice Palace in Aliso Viejo
Ice Palace is a great rink that offers a great skating experience for $12 plus $3 skate rentals. They are open for public skating Monday-Friday 2:15pm - 4:45pm, Saturday & Sunday 12:30pm - 3:00pm, Wednesday 6:15pm - 8:00pm and Fridays 7:30pm - 9:30pm. On Friday nights you can enjoy music videos on their 12 foot screen and color lights show. They are located at 9 Journey in Aliso Viejo. We have had great luck with their skate school.

Anaheim Ice in Anaheim
This amazing skating rink has an NHL and an Olympic size rink. They have a great modern, hip decor and the kids love this place. They offer ice skating classes and hockey leagues available for adults and kids. Anaheim Ice is the official training facility for the Anaheim Ducks. You may just catch one of your favorite Ducks practicing. The price is $5 for kids under 6 years old including skates, $7 for those 15 years old and younger plus $3 skate rental, and $9 for those 16 and over plus $3 skate rental. They have an extensive list of public skate times available on their website. This is one of the greatest skating rinks in Orange County.

There a re a couple of seasonal skating rinks in Orange County at Orange County Great Park this one is free but requires reservations) and at the Irvine Spectrum. You can find information on both of these skating rinks here.

For more information on fun family activities in Orange County be sure to visit OC Fun Guide.

Happy Skating!

Photo Credit: OC Great Park

What's This Great Park All About?

I am sure that most of you have all seen that Great Big Orange Circle floating up in the air over Irvine. Well the OC Great Park is host to some great FREE activities, one of them being The FREE Balloon Ride. The calendar at the Great Park is filling up with some other cool stuff to do as well. Their most recent news is The OC Great Park will soon be the new home to the the former Fashion Island Carousel. This will be a year round attraction which will be a part of The Great Park's Kids Rock Playground projected to open late this summer.

Firstly, for those of you who are not petrified of heights, if you have not yet had the opportunity to soar in this Great Orange Balloon 400 feet above the ground to see OC at its finest, I would highly recommend you hop on over. This is the largest helium tethered balloon and the first of its kind in the entire United States, according to the OC Great Park. The balloon can hold up to 30 passengers at once in its gondola which takes you soaring into the sky but don't worry, you won't fly away because it stays tethered to the ground with very strong steel wires that can hold much more than the estimated 99,000 lbs.

Once you have experienced the Great Orange Balloon, you will be able to now enjoy an array of FREE activities, lessons and events offered at the OC Great Park in the coming weeks.


Saturday, April 25th and May 1st two FREE Self Defense classes will be offered each day. One at 12:30 and another at 1:30pm each lasting an hour. This is a beginners basic martial arts of Kook Sool Kwan. This class is not just for self defense but the focus will also be on the concept of balance, equilibrium in mental, physical and spiritual traits. The classes will take place in Hanger 244.

Starting May 1 FREE Admission and Parking for Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi and Real Fitness Boot Camp classes are being offered. The recommended ages for each of these classes is 7 years old and up with the exception of the Boot Camp which is 12 and up so bring your kids and start toning up for the summer. No excuses here. You can't beat FREE! Head over to The Great Park's website for the full schedule with times and dates.


May 1st & 15th 10am - 12pm Spring Garden Workshops
are being offered FREE. This is for all of us who need some help because our green thumb is in need of some advice. They will cover topics like what gardening tools you need in your garden to what type of irrigation, soil and pest control is best to create the healthiest garden. Now that Spring is in full bloom the gardening hobby is a bit contagious. Visit The Great Park's website for more information on these Garden Workshops.



Sunday, May 9th at 10 & 11am FREE Guitar Lessons will be offered. This is recommended for ages 8 and up. Just bring your guitar and the instructor will teach you the basics. Space is limited and pre-registration is required so be sure to visit The Great Park's website for all the info and to register. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.




Friday, May 14th 7:45-945pm FREE Star Gazing led by Astronomy4U will be hosted at The OC Great Park. Spend the evening learning about the solar system through the informational star maps and have a chance to view Saturn and the Moon through a telescope. This is recommended for ages 9 and older so bring the family and enjoy a night under the stars. Be sure to visit the Great Park's website for more information.

There are so many fun activities to choose from and best of all they are FREE. For address and directions visit The OC Great Park's website.

Fore more information on FREE and Low COst Fun in Orange County please visit http://www.ocfunguide.com/ . Be sure to Sign Up for our monthly activities and events calendar so you won't miss another great event and hear about it after.

Happy Exploring!

Still looking for that perfect Valentine night in the OC?

You are in luck! Kooza by Cirque du Soleil is performing at The Orange County Great Park and to top this off they are now offering 1/2 price tickets in Irvine now through February 14th.

If the normal $60-90 price tag was too high for you, this is the time to see this amazing show for half this price. Click here for the Irvine half price page. It will knock your socks off. The talent is unbelievable.

If you haven't firmed up your V-Day plans yet, this will be the perfect night out. The show is based on a loner attempting to find his place in the world. The mix of Clowning and Acrobats is a spectacular performance that leaves you shocked yet amazingly intrigued. Another Cirque du Soleil magical presentation showing how the human body can defy it's own boundaries.

Parking is available at The Orange County Great Park for $10 or you can find information about shuttles on their website.

For information on FREE and Low Cost activities in Orange County, visit OC Fun Guide! You can also sign up for our NEW Activities Calendar so you won't miss an event in Orange County and hear about it after.

Happy Valentines!

FREE Ice Skating Anyone?

What could be better than a winter afternoon full of fun with the family? Without a doubt, an afternoon of FREE fun at The OC Great Park's Great Skate Ice Rink! The Ice Skating Rink is offering FREE admission and skate rentals all season. The opening day was January 30th and they will have sessions through February 28th. Take advantage of this great activity in Orange County. If you have your own ice skates, you can bring those along. They will also have helmets for children which are recommended at no extra charge. There's no better time to get out and enjoy the winter. To top it off, parking is absolutely FREE as well.

On Sunday evenings the Skating Rink will feature "Sounds of the Hour" skating to '70's, '80's and '90's music. You can reserve advance tickets up to a 6 ticket maximum for any given session but each ticket holder must be present 15 minutes before the session begins. You can take a look at the session schedules on their website Great Skate Ice Rink.

For more fun FREE and low cost activities visit http://www.ocfunguide.com/. Be sure to sign up for the New OC Fun Calendar. You will receive monthly emails with FREE and low cost activities in Orange County.

Happy Skating!