Rain dampens Main Street Ice rink’s season this year

Winter’s rainy weather resulted in fewer skaters – and revenue dollars – for Columbia’s Main Street Ice.

The skating rink at Boyd Plaza downtown, in its third season, drew 7,951 skaters between Thanksgiving day and Jan. 19, when the rink closed for the season, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Caton.

Nearly 9,000 people skated last season at the rink, located outside the Columbia Museum of Art along Main Street. Neither this year nor last lived up to the rink’s first-year attendance of more than 15,000, though the rink was open for more days that year.

The rink collected $70,941 in ticket sales this season, Caton said Monday, with expenses of about $159,000, leaving a deficit of just over $88,000.

Last season’s revenue was about $80,000 with expenses of just over $183,000, leaving about a $103,000 deficit, Caton said.

Weather was a negative factor for attendance both last year and this year, particularly over the rainy weeks of this January, Caton said.

“It’s difficult to skate when it’s pouring down rain,” Caton said.

Contributing: Staff writers Sarah Ellis and Tim Flach

This story was originally published January 26, 2015 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Rain dampens Main Street Ice rink’s season this year."