Barry Civic Centre To Be Transformed Into Ice Central This Winter

Central Park in Barry is to host the town’s first ever ice rink this winter and will become home to a series of attractions as part of its transformation into Ice Central. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Vale of Glamorgan Council will install an undercover rink to be situated in the park adjacent to Barry Town Hall, which will open after the big ‘switch-on’ of Barry’s Christmas Lights on 26 November at 5pm. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ice Central will offer seasonal food, drinks and live music as well as a family friendly festive skating experience. The rink will be open for eight days and is the centrepiece of the Vale Council’s winter events programme for 2016. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Lis Burnett, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Education, said: “For the past two years we have held the hugely popular Christmas projections in King Square. These two evenings have proved that the right events can attract huge numbers of people to Barry’s town centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“What we are now doing is building on that success with an event that lasts for a week rather than an evening and so can be enjoyed by even more people. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As well as providing festive fun for families from Vale and beyond we hope the event, which is the first of its kind in the town, will provide a boost to local traders at what we know is a very important time of year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The programme of events during the week, and elsewhere across the Vale during the Christmas period, is still being finalised and this is the first of many announcements. So watch this space!” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ice Central is being delivered in partnership with Mack Events, the team behind the hugely successful GlastonBarry festival. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Ross Mackintosh of Mack Events said: “We are very excited to be involved in what could become a staple of Barry’s event calendar. We are hoping the people of Barry will embrace this event, come down and have a glass of mulled wine and a minced pie while the children enjoy the ice rink and everybody gets into the festive spirit! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Everyone knows that the town is on the up and each year GlastonBarry proves what a great community we are part of. We think that Ice Central could be huge and can’t wait to tell people more about it as details are confirmed in the coming weeks.”
The Ice Central rink will open at 5.30pm on Saturday 26 November and then every day from Sunday 27th November to Sunday 4th December. There will be late night events on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. Prices will start from £3 and a family ticket will be available for £10. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​