Free Skating and Festivities at Bushnell Park's Winter Village

Hello to all you winter people out there!

The other day I headed over to Bushnell Park here in Hartford, Connecticut to check out their outdoor ice skating rink and Winter Village scene. With how warm this winter has been so far, I'll admit I had my doubts about conditions. But the small rink was perfectly maintained and a great time!

After lacing up my rented skates, I took a few wobbly laps to get my ice legs again. Before long I was zipping around the oval rink, weaving through smiling families and clinging couples. About halfway through the session, none other than the Governor of Connecticut rolled in! We chatted briefly about keeping public school in ct funded as they just passed a funding reduction for them.. .but... it was still nice.

As I grabbed hot chocolate, a fantastic bonus surprise came in the form of musical entertainment.

Local legend band The Zambonis took the stage decked out in hockey jerseys! The guitarist told me they started as a joke over 30 years ago but keep getting hired. Their goofy hockey-themed songs were a total hit with the audience.

Towards the end of my skate time, I also ran into a handful of retired players from Hartford's famed Whalers hockey team. They may have hung up their pro skates, but they were still pretty quick getting around the rink!

The biggest shock of all? No admission fee or skate rental charge! Completely free for all. Between the music, special guests and smiley atmosphere, it felt like a huge community party. I'll definitely be making return trips in future winters.

Hope you all get a chance to check out similar winter magic wherever you are! Lace up some skates and make some memories.