A local holiday tradition is set to return this weekend for the first time in two years.
The Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club’s “Happy Holidays Ice Show” will feature talented local figure skaters of all ages performing from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Pegula Ice Arena.
Tickets will be available for $5 at gates B or C on Sunday. Children 5 and under are admitted for free. Concessions will be available during the show.
The Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club is a nonprofit organization and the performance is sanctioned by USA Figure Skating.
Last year’s show was canceled because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the club worked throughout the year to ensure its members could remain active.
“Like almost every organization, the Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club faced many challenges and overcame many obstacles this past year trying to meet the needs of our members,” board member Donna Korzick wrote in an email “When Pegula shutdown, we worked with our coaching staff to pull together online resources for our members to help them stay engaged and active.”
That included purchasing ice time at Galactic Ice in Altoona while Pegula was closed, as well as creating a policy for video on-ice coaching to maximize lesson time for students and coaches.
Korzick said that once Pegula reopened, the club was, until recently, the only provider of ice time for the local figure skating community.
They implemented COVID health and safety policies and increased, often more than doubling, the number of hours of ice purchased each week. The club also accommodated Penn State collegiate skaters who otherwise had no option to skate at Pegula, Korzick said.
“Excitement is in the air, as our skaters prepare to perform for the first time in nearly two years,” Korzick said.
In accordance with Pegula Ice Arena and US Figure Skating policies, all audience members will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.
