At Cypress Self Storage, Oakley's newest self storage facility (currently under construction), we truly love wintertime! There are so many fun traditions and festivities. And, we view self storage as an incredible way to store one's holiday decorations (and outdoor sporting gear). Many of our customers love utilizing self storage to keep their Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations organized. (In fact, we just published a post about Storing Halloween Decorations on our parent brand's blog.) Today, we are excited to share an amazing winter festivity and tradition in Brentwood, CA (the sister city of our home in Oakley) - the ice rinks! That's right, while it's still warm outside here in the sunny Tri-Delta area, winter is almost upon us, as are the ice rinks. Time to get ready for some fun winter cheer!

While there's no snow, there TWO ice rinks in Brentwood to provide winter outdoor fun this holiday season. Now, at least through the holiday season, we don't have to drive to Dublin or anywhere else outside the area for winter fun on ice for people of all ages to enjoy.

Brentwood on Ice

Brentwood on Ice (739 2nd St., across from Brentwood City Hall) is downtown Brentwood’s first ice rink. It opens November 17, 2018 through January 13, 2019. Hours are:

• Friday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Sunday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
• Monday to Thursday 12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Thanksgiving Day 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Christmas Eve 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Christmas day 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• New Years Eve 11:00 a.m. to TBD

A fun and affordable activity for individuals and families throughout the Tri-Delta area, cost is $13.00 per session with skates, $10.00 per session without skates. 10 Day Passes are available for $120.00 with skates, $80.00 without skates. A session is 1.5 hours depending on ice prep time.

Special deals and events include:

• Mondays Vet Day 1 free admission with Military ID and 1 ticket purchase
• FREE skate 4:00 - 6:00 pm (Sponsored by Got A Party)
• Tuesday Family Skate Night Family of 4 w/skates $35.00
• Wednesday Music Nights Enjoy local School Bands and Choirs 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call to see who's playing. (At Cypress Self Storage, we truly love our local community and schools, so we can't wait to see which bands will be playing!)
• Thursday Rock N Skate 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For beginning skaters under 4 feet tall (48") they offer Skate Helpers for $5, tools that glide with the skater along the ice and help with balance and control.

Brentwood On Ice has a snack bar with food and beverages onsite. Parking is available on a first come, first served basis at the City of Brentwood Parking Garage and on the streets downtown. Restroom facilities are located at the Community center and there are port-a-potties onsite. Since skates may not be worn outside of the ice rink, it is recommended using the facilities before skating. (Using them with your skates on is pretty awkward anyway.)

Lockers may be rented for $2 and, according to the Brentwood On Ice website, typically hold a couple of pairs of shoes, a medium-size handbag and a few small purchases, if you happen to have been shopping downtown before your skating adventure.

Party facilities are available for $250.00 (2 hours). Parties include tent area with table, chairs, and a party host to greet the group and assist with setup. Fee includes admission/skating for 10 skaters; $11 for each additional skating guest. Non-skaters are welcome to join the party at no charge. All birthday parties are held during public skating hours. Please note: Maximum of 32 guests in one party area at a time. For Party Events larger than 32, two booked party areas are required.

Brentwood on Ice is also collecting items for the Brentwood Community Chest from opening day to Monday, December 10.

For more information, go to brentwoodonice.com, or call (925) 516-7664.

The Big Chill

The Big Chill is located at The Streets of Brentwood (2445 Sand Creek Road, off Highway 4 and Sand Creek Road), and also opens on November 17th. It features a 10,000 square foot indoor/outdoor ice rink. 

Hours of Operation are:

• Monday Through Thursday:  Hours 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday:  Hours 8 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 12:00 Noon to 8:00 p.m.
• Christmas Eve: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Christmas Day: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• New Year's Day 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

A super fun and affordable activity for individuals, families, and groups, tickets are priced as follows:

Weekday Ice Skating rates:

• $12 per person (ages 13 and up)
• $6 ages 12 and under
• $10 per person for a family of 4 or more
• $8 per person for a group of 10 or more
• $5 per person for a group of 20 or more

Weekend and Holiday Rates

• $15 per person (ages 13 and up)
• $10 per person age 12 and under
• $14 per person for family of 4 or more
• $12 per person for a group of 10 or more
• $10 per person for a group of 20 or more

Skaters who bring their own skates: $10/adult, $5/children 12 and under.

All skaters and slide riders must sign a release of liability waiver, which you can download from the website, or obtain on site. 

For small skaters who might be a little shaky on their skates, The Big Chill provides Polar Bear Skate Aids to rent that are available on a first come, first serve basis for $10/hour.

Like Brentwood on Ice, The BIG CHILL provides skating instructors for group lessons from age 3 to adult at any experience level, starting November 19th and running through January 4th, 2019. For more information, please visit: https://www.bigchillbrentwood.com/skating-school.html

The facility is also available for corporate, VIP, and other special events. (Do you work in an office in the local Oakley and Brentwood areas? Why not plan a fun group activity at The Big Chill? This could be the perfect bonding activity for your team, and a celebration of your team's hard work all year long.)

For more information and for event updates, go to www.bigchillbrentwood.com

For both rinks, although the weather for ice skating out here is pretty mild, the temperature on the ice may be chilly. We recommend layers and, if prone to frigid fingers, mittens or gloves. And please watch out for small children when you are on the ice!

At Cypress Self Storage (and our parent company Smart Self Storage), we truly love the great outdoors. In fact, many of our customers leverage self storage for their outdoor lifestyle. Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you enjoy activities like ice skating? As you accumulate gear over the years, you may quickly find that your gear is taking over in your home and garage. In our opinion, this is a perfect use case for self storage. We view self storage units as an additional room, an extension of your home. Consider a self storage unit today for all your ice skating gear. With the wintertime right around the corner, we want to truly wish you a happy and blessed holiday season!