.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Winterfest at the Arch to include Blues Viewing Party on Dec. 2
ST. LOUIS -- Fans who enjoy ice skating and watching hockey outdoors can do both when FOX Sports Midwest presents its St. Louis Blues Holiday Toy Drive and Viewing Party on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The event is one of many activities taking place around the holidays at Winterfest at the Arch, which will feature an ice rink opening Nov. 18 at the new Kiener Plaza. The festival also spotlights the historic renovations nearing completion at the Gateway Arch park and surrounding areas.
The Gateway Arch Park Foundation and St. Louis Blues are teaming up again to bring the ice rink, which will remain open until New Year's Day, to downtown St. Louis.
“We’re excited to partner with Gateway Arch Park Foundation again to bring hockey and skating under St. Louis’ defining symbol to the world,” said Chris Zimmerman, Blues president and CEO of business operations. “Last year’s Winterfest was a great success and we’re looking forward to a bigger and better festival this year.”
Building on the success of the inaugural Winterfest last year, this season’s festival will include more programming, events and partnerships and again will include the unique experience of ice skating in the shadow of the Gateway Arch.
Highlights of Winterfest at the Arch will include:
• Saturday, Nov. 18 - Opening night celebration with Festival of Lights, including the return of the Salvation Army Tree of Lights, back to its historical home at Kiener Plaza.
• Thursday, Nov. 30 – One Nation night with the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Cardinals.
• Saturday, Dec. 2 – St. Louis Blues Holiday Toy Drive and Viewing Party at Winterfest. Fans can watch the Blues play at the Minnesota Wild on an outdoor screen.
• Public skating Thursday-Sunday, 2-9 p.m. The rink will also be open Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. (Check www.archwinterfest.com for a detailed schedule.)
• St. Louis Blues Try Hockey Free, Little Blues, 3-on-3 hockey league and street hockey tournament.
• Holiday craft market.
• Private rentals of the ice rink for groups of 100 or more.
• Additional events will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We are incredibly grateful to our presenting sponsor Centene and our other wonderful sponsors for making Winterfest possible again this year,” said Eric Moraczewski, executive director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation. “Our first year partnering with the St. Louis Blues on this event was an amazing experience and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to downtown St. Louis for a longer run with more events.”
The skating rink, made of real ice, will be in Kiener Plaza, which reopened in May 2017 after a complete $20 million renovation as part of the overall $380 million CityArchRiver project. The project is reimagining the Gateway Arch and downtown experience for visitors, with many elements of the project already completed. The grand opening of the new Arch experience will be July 4, 2018, in partnership with the return of Fair Saint Louis.
