The Historic Folsom Ice Rink opens this Saturday, Nov. 7, at 905 Leidesdorff St. and stays open through Jan. 18, 2027. That's 73 days of skating. Fire pit reservations cost the least in the first two weeks and the last two weeks, cost more from Thanksgiving week through New Year's, and cost the most on one Friday in December. If you live close enough to Sutter Street to come back more than once, those windows are a good way to plan your whole season.
The rink prices its season in three windows
Every session lasts 90 minutes. Monday through Wednesday, sessions start at 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday adds 10 a.m. and noon. During holiday breaks, daytime sessions run every two hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. General admission for the 2026–27 season is listed at $20 plus a booking fee for ages 10 and up, about $22.24 total, and $16 plus a fee for ages 4 through 9, about $18.10. Skate rental is included, so bringing your own skates doesn't lower the price. A Skate Assist runs $15 plus fees per session, a season pass is $250 plus fees, and military guests with valid ID get $2 off. Check the final total at checkout on the rink's ticket page before you plan around these figures.
The fireside pits make the price windows easy to see. Each reservation covers one 90-minute session, seats up to 10 people and comes with one group s'mores kit. Skate admission is extra, and so is a second s'mores kit at $25.
| Window | Fireside pit, 90 minutes | Per person with a full group of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7–19 | $125 | $12.50 |
| Nov. 20–Jan. 3 | $150 | $15.00 |
| Dec. 4, tree lighting, 6 and 8 p.m. sessions | $200 | $20.00 |
| Jan. 4–18 | $125 | $12.50 |
With a full group, a pit adds $12.50 a head in the early and late weeks. On tree-lighting night it adds $20, which is close to the price of an adult skate ticket.
What changed on the 2026 schedule
This year's event calendar leans toward daytime sessions and adults who are new to skating, compared with the nights the rink promoted last season.
- Grown-Ups & Gliders has a 10 a.m. session on Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Jan. 5 and Jan. 12.
- Lunch & Learn has a noon session on Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and Jan. 5.
- $12 Monday lands on Nov. 9 and Jan. 11. Both dates fall in the lower-priced windows.
- Saturday Skate School meets every Saturday morning. The events page lists 8:45 and 9:15 a.m., and the ticket page lists an 8:30 start, so check the ticket page for your date.
Folsom Times' preview of the 2025 season described the $12 deal as a Tuesday promotion and listed Neon, Rodeo Round-Up, Disco, Star Wars and Singles nights. None of those themed nights are on the 2026 calendar.
Nov. 7 to 19: the opening stretch
The first two weeks have the lowest fire pit rate and the first discount day. They also fill up with community dates that have nothing to do with skating.
- Saturday, Nov. 7. Opening day at the rink.
- Monday, Nov. 9. The first $12 Monday.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Wayne Spence Folsom Veterans Day Parade starts at 9 a.m. on East Bidwell Street in front of the Target/Home Goods shopping center and ends at the Folsom Community Center, 52 Natoma St. The rink has Veterans Day sessions at 10 a.m., 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m., so you can skate on the same day.
- Monday, Nov. 16. Princesses & Superheroes at the 4 and 6 p.m. sessions.
- Tuesday, Nov. 17. Grown-Ups & Gliders at 10 a.m., then Lunch & Learn at noon.
- Thursday, Nov. 19. Donate & Skate for the Christmas in Folsom Coat Drive. $4 from every admission goes to the drive, and the rink asks skaters to bring a coat. It applies to every session except classes. The separate event listing gives the date as Nov. 18, so confirm the day on the ticket page.
Nov. 19 is also the last day of the $125 fire pit rate until January.
Nov. 20 to Jan. 3: the peak window, and the night it peaks
The higher rate starts the week of Thanksgiving. Thursday, Nov. 26, brings the Thanksgiving PJ Party at every session. Two days later, on Saturday, Nov. 28, Small Business Saturday covers the 600 to 900 blocks of Sutter Street all day. On Monday, Nov. 30, $4 from each admission goes to Twin Lakes Food Bank, and the rink asks skaters to bring a non-perishable food item.
Friday, Dec. 4: three events, one evening
Dec. 4 is the busiest night on Folsom's holiday calendar. Historic Folsom's Community Christmas Tree Lighting runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ice Rink Plaza and along Historic Sutter Street. The program includes visits with Santa, children's activities, sponsor booths and live performances by local schools and community groups. Skating that night needs its own admission ticket. The same night is also the opening night of Wild Nights and Holiday Lights at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary, 403 Stafford St. On top of that, the rink charges its $200 top rate for fire pits at the 6 and 8 p.m. sessions.
Wild Nights and Holiday Lights
The zoo event runs Dec. 4–6, 10–13 and 18–22, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Last entry is at 8 p.m. Admission is for a set date and start time and is sold online only. The ticket page lists $12.99 for entry in the first hour and $11.99 for the last two hours, and children under 2 get in free. On the ticket selector, general admission comes to $14.17 with fees. A ride on the Starlight Express miniature train is $8.86 with fees and isn't included in admission. Ticket sales opened Nov. 1.
You arrive at the time on your ticket and then stay as long as you like. The event page describes thousands of lights, lit trees and animal figures, local carolers and musicians, nocturnal animals with holiday enrichment from the keepers, and food and drinks from Fisher's Beastro and food trucks. Heavy rain or wind cancels the night, and proceeds support the animals at the Zoo Sanctuary.
The rest of December
The 57th Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair fills the 600 to 900 blocks of Sutter Street on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Back at the rink:
- Dec. 2: Donate & Skate for Carl Sundahl Elementary at the 6 p.m. session
- Dec. 7: Princesses & Superheroes at 4 and 6 p.m.
- Dec. 15: Movies on Ice with Elf at 6 p.m.
- Dec. 18: National Ugly Sweater Day at every session
- Dec. 24 and 25: Rudolph's Christmas Eve Party and Rudolph's Christmas Party
- Dec. 31: Rockin' New Year's Eve, with a Noon Year's Eve celebration featuring DJ Elo and an 8 p.m. dance and skate party
Jan. 4 to 18: the lower rate comes back
The $125 fire pit rate returns on Monday, Jan. 4, the same day $4 from every admission goes to Powerhouse Ministries. The second $12 Monday is Jan. 11. Princesses & Superheroes moves to the 10 a.m. and noon sessions on Saturday, Jan. 9, and Grown-Ups & Gliders returns on Jan. 5 and Jan. 12. The calendar also has a Volunteer Appreciation Night with a figure skating show. The season ends on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, with the rink open all day.
Parking, the Gold Line and a meal nearby
Historic Folsom's 315-space garage shares the rink's address, 905 Leidesdorff St. Parking there is free on most days but not on special-event days. Street parking and other large lots are spread around the district. The Sacramento Regional Transit Gold Line stops at Historic Folsom Station, so the rink is a train ride from Sacramento Valley Station. For the zoo lights, the event page suggests parking behind City Hall and the Community Center at 52 Natoma St.
Several restaurants opened in Folsom this year and work well before or after a session. Lakeside Cafe opened Oct. 20 at Crawdads on the Lake, 9900 Greenback Lane, serving breakfast and coffee with a view of Lake Natoma, according to Folsom Times. That's handy after a Saturday morning skate class. On East Bidwell Street, the Sacramento Business Journal reported in September that Palette Dim Sum & Lounge was soft-opening at 2770 E. Bidwell St. and The Breakfast Club at Midtown was soft-opening at 2750 E. Bidwell St. Yard House, which Folsom Times covered when it opened in February, is at 350 Palladio Parkway. For more around town, see our guide to hidden gems in Folsom and our Folsom neighborhood page.
If a winter of skating sessions and Sutter Street evenings has you thinking about living closer to the rink, Kim Knotts + Co. would be glad to start your luxury home conversation.
