Last Winter North Park's Rink Opened on Christmas Eve. This Year Santa Is Booked for December 6.

"We had to make some choices on seasonal employees to preserve cash." Allegheny County spokesperson Abigail Gardner gave that explanation to CBS Pittsburgh last fall. She was explaining why the county's two ice rinks, including the one at North Park on Pearce Mill Road, would open about a month later than usual.

The cause was in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania lawmakers had missed the June 30 budget deadline, so the state could not send counties any payments. Allegheny County responded with a hiring and spending freeze in September, and the rinks were one of the costs.

This year the state signed its budget in July. On Sunday, December 6, 2026, the county has scheduled a holiday skate at North Park with Santa on the ice and a Christmas tree lighting at the rink. For Wexford families, the ice calendar has a lot to do with the state budget.

How the state budget fight pushed back last winter's opening

WPXI reported on November 10, 2025 that Allegheny County Parks planned to open the North Park and South Park rinks for the first time on Saturday, December 20. In the same CBS Pittsburgh report, Gardner said the county hoped the state would pass a budget soon "so the County can be reimbursed for the more than $150 million we have spent and are due."

Governor Josh Shapiro signed the 2025-26 budget on November 12, 2025, two days after that announcement. By then the late opening was already set. On December 23, the county said North Park's rink would open the next day, Wednesday, December 24. North Park lost most of the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which are the rink's busiest holiday stretch.

Here is how December 24 compares with North Park's three previous openings:

For three straight seasons, North Park opened within a week of Thanksgiving. Last season it opened about four weeks later than in 2024. The county's rink page says the season typically runs through mid-March, weather permitting, so the late start came off the front of the season.

This year's budget was signed in July

Governor Shapiro signed the 2026-27 budget on July 12, 2026. Both budgets were due June 30. This year's was signed 12 days after the deadline. Last year's wasn't signed until November 12, more than four months after it. The budget fight that froze county spending through fall 2025 did not happen in 2026.

The county's own spending plan shows it is counting on a full skating season. Its proposed 2026 comprehensive fiscal plan budgets $310,000 in ice skating fee revenue, up from $230,000 in the 2025 adopted budget. That is $80,000 more, about a 35 percent increase. The plan was presented in October 2025 as a proposal. The fee revenue line assumes skaters will be on the ice and paying admission.

The county's seasonal jobs page also lists Ice Rink Worker and Ice Hockey Coach among its winter positions for 2026. Those seasonal workers are the jobs Gardner described as cut back last year.

What's planned for December 6 at 1200 Pearce Mill Road

Skate into the Holidays at North Park runs Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the North Park Ice Rink, 1200 Pearce Mill Road. The county's event page lists these activities and partners:

• Skating with Santa
• A Christmas tree lighting at the rink
• Christmas music from School of Rock's Wexford location
• Cookie decorating with Young Chefs Academy
• Arts and crafts with the Girl Scouts
• Police horses and a SWAT truck from Allegheny County Police
• Giveaways from Allegheny County Special Events

The open skate session requires a ticket. The county says tickets will be posted later and can also be bought at the door. The other activities are free. South Park holds the same event one week later, on December 13. If North Park doesn't fit your weekend, you can try the Bethel Park rink.

The date and length of the event have both changed. A 2024 county council newsletter listed North Park's Skate with Santa for Sunday, December 22, 2024, from noon to 2 p.m. This year's event is 16 days earlier on the calendar and runs four hours. Because it goes until 7 p.m., the tree lighting happens after dark in early December.

The county notes that the event depends on the weather. If conditions are bad, check the Allegheny County Parks Facebook page for updates.

What a regular session costs

After December 6, the rink runs its regular public sessions. These are the rates on the county's ice skating page. The page says hours can change during the season, so check it before you drive over.

• Public skate admission: $6 for county residents, $8 for nonresidents
• Weekend evenings, meaning Friday 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.: $10 for residents, $13 for nonresidents
• Holidays: $10 for residents, $13 for nonresidents
• Skate rental: $4 for residents, $5 for nonresidents
• Skate sharpening: $6 for residents, $8 for nonresidents

The weekend evening rate is the main thing to plan around. For a resident family of four renting skates, a Saturday afternoon session costs $40. The same family pays $56 for the Saturday night session. The county no longer sells a season pass, so every visit is paid separately. Groups of 20 or more can get $1 off per person with 24 hours' notice. The discount doesn't apply on Friday or Saturday nights or to tickets bought online.

The posted public skate times are:

Mondays and Wednesdays are stick time for hockey players. Rental skates range from toddler size 6 to men's size 14, with no half sizes. Skate walkers for new skaters are free when available. You can reach the rink at 724-935-1280.

North Park's holiday laser show starts December 17

The county has also scheduled North Park's Holiday Laser Show, its other big December event. It runs December 17 through December 23, 2026, in the North Park pool parking lot at 9901 S Ridge Drive. You watch from your car. Each night has shows at 6:30, 8 and 9:30 p.m., and each show is a 40-minute light display set to holiday music.

Tickets cost $30 per vehicle and go on sale Monday, November 30, 2026. You need one ticket per car, and commercial vehicles such as school buses, minibuses and limos are not allowed. The show kept the same week, showtimes and price as 2025, according to TribLive's coverage of last year's show.

Put together, North Park's December looks like this:

1. Monday, November 30: Laser show tickets go on sale.
2. Sunday, December 6: Skate into the Holidays at the rink, 3 to 7 p.m.
3. December 17 through 23: Laser show at the pool lot, three shows a night.

If you live on the North Park side of Wexford and are wondering what the park adds to your home's value, or what nearby homes are selling for this winter, LaRocca Real Estate Team can help. Get your complimentary home valuation, and we'll walk you through what's selling near the park.