This Midwest City Is One of the Best Places for the Holidays With Its 1,000-foot-long Riverfront Ice Skating Trail

"Come winter, visitors get to enjoy one of the park's coolest features, The Ribbon: a 1,000-foot-long ice skating trail that winds along the river and connects to a 5,000-square-foot skating pond. A handful of cabanas with fire pits and heaters run along one portion of the trail, providing the perfect end to an evening skate. You can reserve a cabana in advance and enjoy refreshments like pizza and carafes of hot cocoa."

"The Ribbon and its neighboring amenities are just one of the many features found at Glass City Metropark. The park has three play areas, including one that's built around a 41-foot-tall tower featuring climbing nets and a slide. If you're not into ice skating, the park also has a nearby hill for sledding, which is lit up at night for after-dark fun."

"The Glass City Metropark is part of the larger Glass City Riverwalk project, which is still underway and expected to be finished in 2030. When complete, the full project will include 300 acres of riverfront greenway connected via a five-mile mixed-use trail. It will also link six Toledo neighborhoods on both sides of the Maumee River and ensure that every home in the county is within five miles of a park."

An over $200 million investment transformed a former industrial zone along the Maumee River into Glass City Metropark, a year-round recreation hub in 2024. The park's centerpiece is The Ribbon, a 1,000-foot ice skating trail that winds along the river and connects to a 5,000-square-foot skating pond. Cabanas with fire pits and heaters line part of the trail; reservations include ice skate rentals and refreshments like pizza and hot cocoa. The skating season runs mid-November to mid-March. The park also features three play areas, a 41-foot climbing tower, and a lit sledding hill. The park offers skyline and bridge views and is part of a larger Riverwalk expected to finish in 2030, encompassing 300 acres and a five-mile mixed-use trail linking six neighborhoods.

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