University Circle skating rink at dusk (Photo: KFCrisafi)

Winter brings beauty to the Cleveland Plus landscape in many unique ways. Visit the snow-blanketed ski resorts of Peninsula, race the Chalet Toboggan Chutes in the Mill Stream Reservation of the Metroparks, or spy the Hinckley Ohio buzzards coming home to roost in their Medina Township nesting grounds. For fans of frozen sports, one of the more unique winter attractions  has to be the polymer ice skating rink at University Circle’s central park Wade Oval.

“The Rink enjoyed tremendous success in its inaugural year, with more than 10,000 visitors taking advantage of the only outdoor skating rink in Cleveland,” says Sheila Obrycki, director of marketing at University Circle Inc.

Because of its unique plastic polymer surface, The Rink requires no electricity or water to maintain, which means it’s open from November 21 to sometime in March when the weather starts to warm up again. Plus, it skates like real ice, almost indistinguishable when practicing your patented triple lutz for family and friends. And, perhaps best of all–admission is free and skate rentals are only $3, so it’s great budget-friendly fun.

Photo: KFCrisafi

After visitors finish gliding over polymer ice, they can warm up with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate from the concession stand next door or visit nearby attractions such as the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Natural History or the Western Reserve Historical Society. University Circle has become one of Cleveland’s most diverse local neighborhoods–a center for Ohio heathcare, education and arts. Now you can add futuristic ice skating to that impressive list of cutting-edge residents. For more information on The Rink at Wade Oval, call 216.707.5033 or visit www.universitycircle.org. –Contributed by Keith Gribbins