Ice skating under the stars in the Vail Valley

When it comes to pure alpine bliss, nothing quite captures the postcard-perfect essence of winter like gliding across glass-smooth ice under twinkling stars. The Vail Valley boasts three places to lace up your skates and make that dream a reality, each one offering its own brand of mountain magic.

Solaris Ice Rink, Vail Village  

The Solaris rink, located in the center of Vail Village, provides the pulse of winter evenings. By day, you might pass it and admire the sun-drenched spot surrounded by restaurants and retail. But at night, when the fairy lights switch on and music fills the air, it transforms into a living snow globe.

Families spin in wide, careful circles. Couples trace figure-eights hand-in-hand. Kids explode with laughter as friends strut their stuff — or attempt to. The Solaris rink is also home to some seasonal surprises: live music, holiday celebrations and the occasional pop-up performance. There’s no need to plan — just show up, rent some skates and let the magic begin. 

Vail Square Ice Rink, Lionshead Village

The Arrabelle Outdoor Rink, surrounded by charming alpine architecture and the warm glow of the Arrabelle Hotel, is the perfect mix of refinement and fun. The lights shimmer and if you time it right, the nearby bell tower might even chime as you skate.

This rink tends to attract a slightly more serene crowd — couples, groups of friends winding down after dinner and families looking for the perfect holiday photo op. But it’s also just a few steps from some of Vail’s most iconic restaurants and bars, so the evening doesn’t have to end there. Step off the ice and into Montauk for great seafood or Bart & Yeti’s for a hot toddy after taking a few spins. 

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As part of Vail Après, enjoy a free, 15-minute outdoor exhibition of Elite Skating this winter, featuring high energy ice entertainment with popular and holiday themed music. Showcasing World, International, Team USA Skaters and seasoned professionals, both the Solaris Rink and the Arrabelle Rink will offer performances on Saturday, Jan. 3.

Beaver Creek Ice Rink 

Over in Beaver Creek, the village rink sits at the center of it all, surrounded by glowing firepits, warmly lit restaurants and plenty of atmosphere. Each evening, the lights begin to twinkle and you can almost smell Beaver Creek’s fresh-baked 3 p.m. cookies wafting through the air.

For EagleVail resident Kari Corbin, visiting the Beaver Creek ice rink has been a family tradition for more than a decade. 

“In the winter, we get a fire pit and we usually bring dinner there and make s’mores and skate,” Corbin said. “The kids skate, we all skate and we have dinner and it’s very fun and affordable.”

Corbin’s daughters are now 15 and 17 years old, but she says they started this tradition when the girls were three and five years old. They still enjoy the Beaver Creek rink, even hosting birthday parties there if it opens early enough. 

There are plenty of options for libations — either the adult variety and perhaps hot chocolate for the kids — with various restaurants and bars located in the village. Corbin suggests getting there around 5 or 6 p.m. to snag a seat by a fire pit.

Even if you’re not an expert skater, there’s something magical about joining the crowd here as the après scene flows seamlessly from skates and s’mores to fireside cocktails. Rentals are available at the walk-up booth located next to Base Mountain Sports.

Each rink in the valley offers its own slice of winter magic, but together they offer a combination of mountain air, music and motion that makes skating here feel a little more enchanting than anywhere else on earth.

This story originally appeared as part of a larger piece in Vail Valley Magazine, on newsstands now.