2017 Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park: What To Know Before You

TAMPA, FL – While the weather outside may not be frightful, the City of Tampa is getting ready to put on something delightful.

This week marks the start of the 2017 Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park on the Riverwalk in Downtown Tampa. From the pop-up ice rink to boutique shopping, the park transforms into a picture-postcard village (without the snow). And this year, the Winter Village will last through the New Year, where in the past it wrapped up on Christmas Eve.

Here’s what area residents and visitors need to know before you go to the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park:

Dates and Times

The schedule for the ice rink, café and shops at the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park is:

Regular Hours

• Mondays through Thursdays: 4 to 9 p.m.
• Fridays: 4 to 10 p.m.
• Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sundays: noon to 9 p.m.

Hillsborough County School Breaks

• Mondays through Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sundays: Noon to 9 p.m.

Holiday Hours

• Thanksgiving: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.*
• Christmas Eve: Noon to 6 p.m.
• Christmas Day: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

* The Village Shops will be closed Thanksgiving Day.

Location and Parking

Curtis Hixon Park is located in downtown Tampa at 600 N. Ashley Drive. Parking is available at the William F. Poe Parking Garage at 800 N. Ashley Drive. On-street parking is free of charge north of Kennedy Boulevard after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends.

Admission

Admission to the 2017 Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park is free.

Winter Village Ice Rink

Once again, outdoor skating returns to Tampa with the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park Ice Rink. The rink, open to both novice and expert skaters, offers skate rentals on-site at the rink entrance. With extended hours during Hillsborough County Schools breaks, the rink provides family entertainment during vacations.

Tickets include 90 minutes of skating including ice skate rental. Ice skating admission is:

• Individual Tickets: $13
• Group Rates for 20-49: $12 each
• Group Rates for 50-99: $11.50 each
• Group rates for more than 100: $11 each

Private event skating packages are available. Contact Rachel Radawec at rradawec@tampasdowntown.com or call (813) 221-3686 for more information.

Sono Café at Winter Village

Sono Café, which overlooks Curtis Hixon Park in the Tampa Museum of Art, will set up shop in the Winter Village as well. Mise en Place’s hospitality and culinary experts will provide seasonal fare throughout the event.

The snack bar, located near the Winter Village Ice Rink, will feature classic wintertime snacks. Sono Café will feature a full bar with themed drinks, wine, craft beer and specialty coffees.

Winter Village Shops

The Winter Village Shops will feature more than 20 boutiques from local artisans and stores offering gift ideas for holiday shopping – everything from decorative goods, handmade toys, dog accessories, jewelry, apparel and more.

The “pop-up” shopping boutiques come courtesy of PODS. Each “store” in the village will be set up in a PODS unit provided by the Clearwater-based moving and storage company.

The 2017 Winter Village Shops will feature the following vendors:

• A Gift to Africa
• Chef Inspired Popcorn
• Dark Cycle
• Etch Pro
• JF Pop Up Shop
• The Modern Paws
• OBS
• Swanson Soapworks
• Tampa Bay Rays
• The Olive Tree

Winter Village Express

New for the 2017 Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park, the Winter Village Express (a holiday-themed Tampa Historic Streetcar) will run between Centro Ybor and Whiting Station. The station is within walking distance along the Riverfront to the Winter Village.

The Winter Village Express will run from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., leaving the Whiting Station at the top of the hour and Centro Ybor Station at the bottom, on the following Sundays:

• Sunday, Nov. 19
• Sunday, Nov. 26
• Sunday, Dec. 3
• Sunday, Dec. 10
• Sunday, Dec. 17

Roundtrip tickets are $5 and can be paid by credit card or exact change. If paying by credit card, riders can opt to add skate tickets to their purchase for an additional fee. All trips are first come, first serve because of limited availability.

OnBikes Winter Wonder Ride

For the seventh straight year, the OnBikes Winter Wonder Ride will conclude its charity bike ride at the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park for its post-ride celebration. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. starting at Curtis Hixon Park. Proceeds from the bike ride, which winds through downtown Tampa, will go toward OnBikes’ mission of providing bicycles to children in need.

For more information on how to participate in the Winter Wonder Ride, visit https://www.onbikes.org/tickets/.

Sponsors

The Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park is presented by USAmeriBank, and is supported by contributions from the City of Tampa, TECO Energy, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa Bay Lightning, Water Street, Tampa Bay Rays, PODS Moving & Storage, Sykes, JJ Taylor Distributing Florida Inc., Power Design Inc., Courtyard Marriott, and Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs Care Foundation donated the tent structure.

For more information on the 2016 Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park, visit http://www.wintervillagetampa.com/.

Images courtesy of City of Tampa Government Facebook page