Baton Rouge's downtown skyline is about to get a layer of ice again. Skating on the River is set to return to the Raising Cane's River Center Arena starting Dec. 13, bringing back a holiday tradition that has drawn families to the riverfront for decades.
The rink will offer multiple 75-minute skating sessions each day, and the event is open to all ages, according to 973thedawg.com. Ticket price includes skate rental, and only skaters need to buy admission — spectators can watch from the sidelines without a ticket. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster.com or in person at the River Center Box Office on River Road, per the same outlet.
There's a bit of uncertainty about exactly when the season wraps up. 973thedawg.com lists the run as Dec. 13 through Dec. 31, while WBRZ reports that tickets are on sale through Dec. 30. WBRZ also notes the rink opens on a Thursday, while Dec. 13, 2026, falls on a Sunday. As with past years, Baton Rouge's rink takes shape inside the Raising Cane's River Center Arena downtown.
A Nearly Three-Decade Tradition on the Riverfront
This isn't a new addition to Baton Rouge's holiday lineup. WBRZ's own archive traces the event back to one of its first years in 1995, and the station describes Ice Skating on the River as a tradition that has been cherished in Baton Rouge for nearly three decades.
Past iterations of the event have varied in length and timing. One prior season ran from Dec. 18 through Jan. 2, with Christmas and New Year's Day off, while a 2020 kickoff was set for Friday, Nov. 20 of that year. Admission was once priced between $12 and $14 per person.
What to Expect This Holiday Season
The setup keeps things simple: skaters pay to get on the ice, while spectators can watch for free. The 75-minute session format and multiple-sessions-per-day structure echo how the rink has operated in past seasons, giving families flexibility to plan around the holidays.
Tickets are already on sale ahead of the Dec. 13 opening, as reported by WGNO. Whether the season closes out on Dec. 30 or Dec. 31 remains unclear given the conflicting reports, but either way, Baton Rouge's downtown riverfront is once again shaping up to be a cold-weather gathering spot in the middle of Louisiana's holiday season.
