🌱 Patch AM: Why Ion’s new owners say the Leesburg ice rink is thriving again

Good day Leesburg! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Why Ion’s new owners say the Leesburg ice rink is thriving again
• What’s next for The Arc of Loudoun after leaving Paxton Campus?

Also on today's calendar: Ghost Doctors' UFO Tour at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Hazy Center...A New Year's Adventure! and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: I got fired from the M&M factory. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high of 36 and low of 28 degrees.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and breezy, temps: high: 39, low: 22.
• Monday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 37 and low of 28 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• New Ion Ownership Happy with Skating Facility's Direction (loudounnow.com) — Leesburg’s Ion International Training Center is staying an ice-focused facility under new majority owner Joel Salamone, easing fears after last year’s proposed conversion to a concert venue. The rink retained its major hockey clubs, is rebuilding youth enrollment, and is exploring a partnership with an international hockey academy while revamping programs and amenities for local families.
   

• The Arc of Loudoun's ‘Challenging,' ‘Resilient' Year (loudounnow.com) — Programs once based at Leesburg’s Paxton Campus are now operating from the National Conference Center in Lansdowne after The Arc of Loudoun’s lease ended and the trust locked down the site. The nonprofit is rebuilding enrollment, securing space through 2027, and searching for a permanent 40,000–50,000-square-foot home while the Paxton Trust courts new child-serving tenants and updates Leesburg officials.
   

📸 Around Leesburg

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Leesburg

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday January 3

• Tally Ho Theater on Sun, Jan 4, 2026
  Tally Ho Theater, 19 W Market St, Leesburg
  7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Saturday January 3

• Ghost Doctors' UFO Tour at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Hazy Center...A New Year's Adventure!
  14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy , Chantilly
  3:15 pm

Monday January 5

• Books and Beverages for Teens: Hot Cocoa Edition
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  6:00 pm

Tuesday January 6

• Conversational American Sign Language
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  5:00 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Zoning Ordinance Committee
  Dulles Room, Government Center , 1 Harrison St., SE , Leesburg
  9:00 am
• Senior Nutrition Lectures: Goal Setting
  Ashburn Senior Center , 20880 Marblehead Drive , Ashburn
  10:00 am
• Meet Your Neighbor
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  2:00 pm

Thursday January 8

• Silver & Brass Polishing Plating & Repair Services - Special Day Saturday 10-4
  6830 Elm St, Suite 9, McLean, VA, 22101
  10:00 am
• Loudoun Health Commission
  Shenandoah Building , 102 Heritage Way NE , Leesburg
  3:00 pm

Sunday January 11

• Eat Well, Spend Less: How to Cook on a Budget
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  1:00 pm

Monday January 12

• Conversational Spanish
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  5:00 pm

Tuesday January 13

• Grade 3-6 Children's Book Club: American Girl
  Rust Library , 380 Old Waterford Rd NW , Leesburg
  4:00 pm

📣 Leesburg Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Leesburg PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Bruno's Bounce House — (703) 594-1587
  🌞 **Beat the Heat with Bruno's Bounce House Rentals!** 🌊
• Plumbing Services | No Dispatch Fees | AllTech Services — (703) 495-3466
  No Dispatch Fees for Plumbing Services!
• Marianne Bowen — (571) 571-6784
  Helping Buyers Find Their Perfect Place in Loudoun County
• NVA Career Coaching LLC — (703) 606-8125
  Complimentary Resume Assessment
• Floor Coverings International of Leesburg, VA — (571) 410-3603
  FloorFest: 20% off flooring materials through 11/30/25
• Loudoun Lyric Opera
  Check out our 2025/26 Season - tickets now on sale!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Winter Gardening News —Carol Sottili Read on Patch

• Anyone out there live on Diggs Valley?
  I’m pretty sure Instacart dropped my groceries off at your house. 39465 Diggs Valley is likely the house… (Nextdoor Canby Rd)
• Looking for a handyman to handle some bathroom demolition work ahead of a remodel.
  Reliable, trustworthy, and reasonably priced. Any recommendations appreciated. (Nextdoor NW Leesburg)

• Target posted a job opening for Overnight Inbound (Stocking) (T1874) in Leesburg. Apply here.
• VB Spine LLC posted a job opening for Inventory Control Technician I in Leesburg. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Leesburg here.

🗞 Nearby News

Ashburn

• Elevate Your Shopping at 6 New Northern Virginia Retailers (northernvirginiamag.com)
• 2025 Year in Review - Lawyers, Guns & Money (lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com)

Sterling

• With Transmission Line Controversies, Local Leaders Look to Move Away from Data Center Growth (loudounnow.com)
• Gate Smashed As Suspect Runs Into Home To End Police Chase In Virginia: Sheriff (dailyvoice.com)

Middleburg

Ok Leesburg! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I kept throwing out all the W’s.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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