“Look, I have an ice beard!” exclaimed 7-year-old Elliot McCubbin after he dove into a pile of snow and emerged covered from his face to his ice skates at Lock 3 on Sunday afternoon.
The park officially opened its ice skating rink Friday in balmy, record-breaking 70-degree weather, but by Sunday the place was covered in the wintry stuff more attuned to the seasonal activities to come during this year’s Winter Fest.
Chris Griffith, the Lock 3 coordinator, said about 200 people showed up to skate in the warm weather Friday, making it one of the biggest openings the rink has had.
But for some, like Sarah and Mike McCubbin and their nine kids from Norton, this season’s first snowfall provided the perfect weather to kick off family holiday festivities.
“The atmosphere is a lot more of the season,” said 14-year-old Ian McCubbin, the eldest of the bunch.
The McCubbins were some of the dozens who ventured out in chilly winds to skate Sunday, in part to celebrate the 10th birthday of one of their middle siblings, Anna McCubbin.
The family took turns passing along a camera to take pictures while the others inched along the perimeter of the rink, careful not to make a wrong move and end up on their bottoms.
But sure as the snow will fall in Ohio, skaters will slip and fall on the ice.
In fact, Ian said his favorite part about going to Lock 3 every year with his family is “getting to see [his] siblings slip on the ice, because they think they’re so good.”
Falling doesn’t hinder the fun for the McCubbins or people like 5-year-old Neveah Van Pelt of Akron, though, who was there Sunday skating with her 16-year-old sister, Kaylina.
“I’m doing good today!” said Neveah, who said she only slipped twice. “It’s fun, and we fall on our booties a lot.”
Friday served as a soft opening for Lock 3’s 13th Winter Fest, which will kick off this Friday with the annual tree-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m.
The festivities continue at 11 a.m. Saturday with the Welcome Santa Parade, featuring over 75 units including marching bands, floats, dance groups and the man himself, Santa Claus. He’ll stop at the main stage at Lock 3 afterward to greet all the kids.
The rest of Lock 3’s attractions open Friday, too, including a nine-hole indoor putt-putt course and a 150-foot-tall Reindeer Run slope for sledding.
Back for the second year are Zippy’s Little Roo Rink for kids 12 and under learning how to skate and the Akron Children’s Museum pop-up location on site.
Most activities cost $3 each, or people may purchase an unlimited all-day pass for $12.
For more information and dates on all events, visit lock3live.com.
Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @Theresa_Cottom .