A silver tree decked in various shades of blue and white stood tall on the ice inside The Cube. Presents wrapped in bows lined the base.
Just a few feet away, a Christmas-themed switch awaited.
Dozens of attendees gathered into both the top and bottom floors of The Cube in anticipation of the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday night.
The tree lighting became an annual tradition after the city of Santa Clarita purchased the ice rink in 2020. This is the third year that members of the City Council have flipped the switch to light the tree.
“Now in our third year I am thrilled to see how much our community continues to explore classes, programs, events and tournaments here at the Cube,” said Councilman Bill Miranda.
Miranda was accompanied by Councilwoman Marsha McLean and Los Angeles Kings announcer Daryl Evans.
Miranda revealed plans for the future of The Cube as only three people, according to him, knew prior. There are new floors available to lay on top of the ice at the rink in order to make The Cube available for larger-scale events.
McLean, Miranda and Evans all gathered around the switch to give the people what they want – a jolly tree lighting. Sammy Clarita, sporting a jersey with No. 87 (a nod to the year Santa Clarita was founded) and Bailey, the L.A. Kings mascot, also stood by to excite the crowd.
“Holidays are my favorite time of year and I’m thankful to see that the Santa Clarita community has turned out to enjoy some ice skating and to see this magnificent tree illuminate with thousands of lights,” said Evans.
With a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 countdown from Miranda, he flipped the switch in the dark and the tree lit up the ice.
Skaters from the upcoming “A Nightmare Before Christmas at The Cube” joined the celebration and skated around the tree, showing the audience a preview of their upcoming show.
Attendees decided to take on the ice themselves. With their skates locked on, residents glided onto the ice to participate in the winter classic.
