By Khalida Sarwari
Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi will be in downtown San Jose tonight to greet and skate with members of the public at a ceremony celebrating the opening of the downtown holiday ice rink.
The figure skating champion will participate in the 5 p.m. event alongside hula dancers and musicians. Members of Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation and representatives from sponsor Hawaiian Airlines will also attend.
Yamaguchi was born in Hayward, attended Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, and later transferred to Willow Glen High School in San Jose. She is the 1992 Olympic champion in women’s singles.
The skating rink will be open through Jan. 29 — which means an extra 13 days this year — to accommodate visitors attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which take place from Jan. 22-29.
For most of November and early December, the rink will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weeknights; 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays; noon to midnight on Saturdays; and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
Between Dec. 16 and Jan. 2, the rink will open at 11 a.m. to give skaters extra time on the ice. There will special hours on holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Admission, including skate rental and unlimited ice time, is $15 for adults and $13 for children who are age 10 and younger.
The rink is located at the Circle of Palms, on South Market Street across from Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
