Friday, Nov. 6, marks the six year reopening of the only outdoor ice rink in Ventura County at The Lakes of Thousand Oaks [T.O.]. The outdoor ice rink resides in the open-air and dining center on 2200 E. T.O. Boulevard and allows community members to take 90 minute ice skating lessons, with $30 rental skates. Additionally, a “Cocoa bar” with holiday treats, a ferris wheel and a 40 foot tall slide will be added to the outdoor portion next to the rink.
The holiday program will start Nov. 6, 2026, and end Jan. 10, 2027, just running for the holiday season. Project overseers from the Caruso company hope the program will get to run for several years to come.
Many community members are looking forward to the rinks reopening. Mayor Mikey Taylor views the holiday rink as a good way to bring the community together.
“We love when the businesses who have created a footprint in Thousand Oaks do things like this,” Taylor said.
Being a parent too, Taylor enjoys when companies set things up for the community that he can take his kids to.
“We get to take our kids ice skating and make a night out of it. The kids get excited. Us as parents get to have fun with them, and so I just think it’s cool to be able to bring families in our town to kind of the hub of our community to enjoy Christmas,” Taylor said.
Several businesses residing in and near the shopping center are also expecting to gain attraction because of the holiday traffic the rink might bring. Manager Veronica Mendoza of the T.O. California Pizza Kitchen [CPK] shares that while the business normally receives funding from concerts at the plaza, the rink reopening will bring in more revenue.
“Having the skating rink open brings in another source of customers. Meaning that if we don’t have any shows going on we will still be busy,” Mendoza said.
Their company is also trying to form a partnership with Caruso management, the small company overseeing the ice rink project, which will benefit the CPK profits and bring in families.
“We’re also talking about a partnership with the mall so whoever goes ice skating that day can come on down here with their receipt and get a dessert or something,” Mendoza said.
Whether people are a part of staff for a business, out of town visitors or community members, there is something for everyone at the rink. The [T.O.] ice rink is unique because it is one of few outdoor ice rinks in Ventura County. “It doesn’t get cold enough to have ice skating rinks the way it does, you know, in other parts of the country. So I just think it’s cool for kids to be able to go somewhere,” Taylor said.
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