Bend Pavilion ice rink opening delayed a week

The Bend Park and Recreation District announced Thursday another brief delay in the opening of The Pavilion, the community’s new ice rink and recreation facility, with final construction work still underway.

Officials said the anticipated opening now will fall between December 28 and 31, a few days later than the December 19 – 24 opening projected in early November.

“The final stage of construction is moving along rapidly, but we had to adjust our opening slightly,” said Matt Mercer, director of recreation.

“The recent large snowfall and cold temperatures affected our progress, so we have to add a few more days to the schedule in order to accommodate the construction time loss and properly open the facility,” Mercer said.

“Registration programs remain set to begin in January and we’re still focused on offering open skate during the holiday break.”

Drop-in skate session schedules are available online at www.bendparksandrec.org for the holiday break, December 28 – January 3, and for the regular season, January 4 – March 27.

“We understand how excited the community is to get out on the ice,” said Mercer. “We appreciate people’s patience and understanding and look forward to opening The Pavilion very soon.”

Additional information on The Pavilion including schedules, hours, fees and programs is available online at www.bendparksandrec.org.