(Photo by Adam Carr)

Milwaukee Recreation has partnered with Epic Center Community Organization (ECCO) to open a free community ice rink at Burnham Playfield, 1755 S. 32nd Street, on Saturday, December 16. A brief ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place at 1:00 p.m. with open skating to follow until 4:00 p.m.

Open skating will take place every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and weekends from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A hotline (475-8192) will be updated daily to inform if the rink is open or closed based on weather/ice conditions.

A limited number of skates will be available for adults and 3rd-8th grade students to borrow for free on-site. The skates were collected and donated by ECCO, Maryland Avenue Montessori School, and Milwaukee residents who responded to requests on social media. For younger children, the department will have five pairs of skates that can be attached to children’s boots or shoes (youth sizes 6-13).

The Burnham fieldhouse will be used as a warming house. Refreshments, including hot chocolate, will be sold inside for a nominal fee.

Beginning December 21, the rink will open every Thursday night from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for pond hockey. This drop-in program will be free and open to all ages and ability levels; no experience is necessary. Participants are asked to bring their own hockey gear. A limited number of sticks will be available to borrow on-site. For more information, please call (414) 647-6046.

Holiday hours for open skating are as follows: Open 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. December 23, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Closed December 24 and 31.

Weather and ice conditions permitting, the rink will remain accessible to the public outside of the supervised operating hours listed above. However, the warming house will be closed and skates will not be available to borrow.

The Epic Center Community Organization (ECCO) was formed in 2011 by Mike Sengyothinh, an experienced youth worker who had grown up in the Silver City neighborhood. ECCO is a direct response to the Quality of Life Plans that were created for the Layton Boulevard West and Clarke Square neighborhoods as part of the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative.

Milwaukee Recreation is a department of Milwaukee Public Schools, established in 1911 to provide the entire community with affordable and enriching recreational activities. For more information, contact Brian Hoffer at (414) 475-8938or Viviana Buzo at (414) 475-8499.