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Central Park Turns Into A Wonderland This Winter

Don’t be a Grinch. There are plenty of reasons to head to Central Park in San Mateo this winter! Grab your scarves, lace up those skates and enjoy 11,000 square feet of REAL ice in your hometown. The ice skating rink will be open through Sunday, January 8, 2023. An official celebration of the opening of San Mateo on Ice and the holiday season in San Mateo’s historic Central Park will commence with Santa’s Arrival, Ice Skating, Youth Dance “SNOW”case Performance at 2:00pm, Food Trucks, Music, Rides, Crafts and Holiday Lights Saturday, December 3rd between 4-8pm. Visit here for more information about this year’s event.

Santa Clause will make a grand entrance, plus there’ll be

  • Rides – All carnival rides are free and do not require tickets or wristbands.
  • Arts & Crafts – Create Mix & Mingle will be providing arts & crafts during this event. With the anticipation of a big crowd, there will be limited crafts available.
  • Snow – Real snow will be in Central Park to play in, bring appropriate attire
  • Performances – The Parks & Recreation Dance Program, Police Activities League Musical Theater class, Ballet Infinity, and the Demo Team from Core Taekwondo will offer performances starting around 4pm and will end by no later than 6:30pm. There may be gaps in the show, allowing the audience to filter in/out of the seats/standing room. Within the designated seating/standing area, audience members  are asked to wear face masks for the safety of performers and families.
  • Food Trucks – 2021 line-up included The Waffle Roost, La Flamingo, and Mister Softee
  • Photo Opportunities – Take a photo with our one and only Puffball the Polar Bear! Bring your own camera, and staff can take the photo for you! Trees will also have lights on them in Central Park, giving more photo opportunities throughout the evening.
  • Horse & Carriage Rides (by RSVP only)

    pc: San Mateo Parks and Rec

  • LED Games + Light up items for sale – The Police Activities League will be selling items between $1-$9 at the event. Cash only, please. Supplies are extremely limited, so purchase your items early in the evening.
  • Inflatables for the Kids

The evening will end with a magical celebration of light during the Tree Lighting Ceremony in Central Park and along El Camino Real.

What to expect?
It gets quite chilly in Central Park, so we recommend bringing layers, and especially wearing shoes you don’t mind getting muddy/wet. Activities are also spread out throughout the park, so we also recommend comfortable walking/standing shoes. Protect your community and use current safety protocols. Practice safe distancing and wear face masks if attending performances. For all questions

Experience Midurban life. Bay Meadows is a family-friendly neighborhood with lots of open space to enjoy all year long. Explore life here. Whether it’s growing your own vegetables in our gorgeous resident community garden with expert guidance, playing a game of pick-up basketball after work, team building over bocce, picnicking with family on warm summer nights or catching pop-up fit classes, there’s no shortage of green space to explore. Learn more about at Bay Meadows by following us on Instagram.