Have an 'ice' day in Rochdale

Free ice skating in Rochdale town centre

Shoppers in Rochdale town centre can expect an extra Christmas bonus this weekend - and a chance to burn off some of those festive mince pies. Rochdale Town Centre Management will be offering a free ice skating session to anybody who can show a receipt for a £5 spend in the town centre.

Town Centre Manager, Debbie Hernon hopes the ice rink will give local businesses a little extra cheer this holiday season. She said, “We have been doing a lot of work this year to support businesses in Rochdale. Small Business Saturday was a huge success and we hope that our ice rink will give those retailers a much needed boost in the run up to Christmas.

“There will be a fantastic atmosphere on The Butts. In addition to the ice rink, we have organised a selection of log cabins and Christmas market stalls for anybody who needs some last-minute gifts and stocking fillers. It will be great for all the family – activities for children and mulled wine for the adults!”

Anybody who has spent £5 in the town centre during the whole of December will be able to skate totally free for 15 minutes, provided they show a receipt for the purchase. Residents should ‘get their skates on’ though, as the Christmas Market and Ice Rink will only be in Rochdale from Saturday 21 until Monday 23 December.

After working up an appetite on the ice rink, skaters will be able to sample some of regions best food. There will be festive favourites such as roasted chestnuts and a hog roast, The Flying Horse will be selling home-made pies and a cakes and cupcakes stall will cater for the sweeter tooth. Visitors will be able to purchase hand-made beauty products and toys from the stalls.