The Forecast That Opens Constitution Park's New Rink, and River Forest's Winter Around It

Most of River Forest's winter calendar is already set. Tree-trimming registration closes Monday, November 9. Santa arrives on Lake Street Thursday, November 19. The trolley leaves The Depot on Saturday, December 5.

The rink at Constitution Park has no set date. The Park District lists a season of December 1 to March 1, open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. "when weather permits." Opening day depends on the forecast. This is also the rebuilt rink's first winter. It sits on a court that has been a sand volleyball court since the park reopened in July. So learning the forecast rule is the best way to catch the first skate of the season.

A summer court that turns into a rink

The River Forest Park District rebuilt Constitution Park at 7715 Greenfield Street with a new sand volleyball court that doubles as the ice rink. It sits in about the same spot as the old one. One of the two existing light poles was kept, and the second was replaced "for night skating." The plan also added a shelter with two single-stall restrooms and a 20-by-20-foot seating area, and a seating plaza between the playground and the court. The Park District held the opening ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 8.

The two-season court has been part of the plan for a while. When the redesign was taking shape, the Wednesday Journal reported in May 2024 that the volleyball court doubles as the winter ice rink and that the renovation would move it only slightly. The arrangement goes back further than that. In 2016 the Wednesday Journal described the sand going in for volleyball, with the rink laid "right over the top of the sand." The District's May 2026 budget sets aside $4,000 a year for an "ice rink liner & temporary security fence."

How the forecast sets opening day

The Park District's ice rink page explains how the rink gets made. Ice-making starts only when the weather is at, and forecast to stay below, 30 degrees for the high and 20 degrees for the low. After that it "typically takes 3 to 5 days to make ice, depending on the weather."

So the chain from calendar to first skate looks like this:

1. December 1 arrives. That opens the posted season. It isn't an opening day.
2. A cold stretch shows up in the forecast. Highs need to stay under 30 and lows under 20.
3. Crews start building the ice. Plan on three to five days, longer if the weather wobbles.
4. The flag goes green. Status is posted on site with colored flags. Green means the rink is open and red means it's closed.

Step 2 is the one to watch. A December that stays in the mid-30s can push the first skate back well past the posted season start. One hard cold snap can have kids on the ice within a week. Either way, a run of highs in the 20s on the forecast is the earliest sign the rink is coming.

Trust the flag at the rink over the web. The Constitution Park page on the Park District site has shown a winter 2024 rink status. The flag at the park shows what the ice is doing that day.

Two more practical points. The rink is unsupervised, and the Park District says to skate at your own risk. Its rink and sled hill pages don't mention a warming house, so plan to lace up on a bench and bring an extra layer.

Who gets the ice, and when

Once the flag is green, the day is split between free skate and hockey. Hockey sticks and pucks aren't allowed on the ice during free skate.

Over a full week, free skate and hockey each get 27 hours. The time of day is what differs. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, free skate starts at 3 p.m., which suits a stop on the way home from school. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, free skate runs from 6 to 9 p.m., after dark. That's why the replaced light pole matters on those nights. Weekends give families the longest free-skate time, with a morning block and an afternoon block on either side of midday hockey.

The dates that don't depend on the weather

The rink's opening day moves with the forecast. The holiday calendar around it doesn't, and two of those dates have deadlines that come up before the cold does.

Santa's Arrival & Holiday Tree Trimming, Thursday, November 19. Community businesses, organizations and neighborhood groups can sponsor a tree in Memorial Parkway along Lake Street. The trees stay up through the New Year. The Park District provides a tree with lights. Sponsors bring their own decorations, something to hang them with, and a step stool. There are two time slots, 4 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. Registration closes Monday, November 9. Cookies, hot chocolate, festive music and Santa's mailbox are part of the evening, and the tree trimming guidelines cover the details.

Deck the Depot, Saturday, December 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A holiday trolley rides around town with a scavenger hunt, a reading of The Polar Express and holiday songs. Back at The Depot there's a hot chocolate bar, a craft, a balloon artist and a picture with Santa. Tickets are $20 per person for ages 1 and up, with a limit of six per household. The event is for River Forest residents only. Registration opened in person at The Depot on October 19 and isn't available online. If your household hasn't signed up, check with The Depot about what's left.

The Keystone Park sled hill goes along with the rink. It's open daily when the weather allows, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to dusk on weekends. Like the rink, it's unsupervised. Snow decides when the hill opens and cold decides when the rink opens. In some weeks you'll get one without the other.

Warming up on Lake Street

After an hour on the ice, Lake Street has some good places to warm up, and they keep different hours.

• Joy Tea, 7773 Lake St. This is the newest stop on the list. River Forest native Max Blessen opened it in 2026 as the business's first storefront, as the Wednesday Journal reported in July. Oak Park Wire's coverage lists hot and cold teas, including jasmine and grapefruit silk, green mango, and aged pu'erhs with buttercream. Hours aren't posted, so check with the shop before planning around it. This will be its first winter on Lake Street.
• River Forest Chocolates, 7769 Lake St. It's two doors down and sells chocolates, English toffee and caramels. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. That means a Saturday morning free skate is the session that ends in time for a stop, since the shop is closed by the time evening skates begin.
• First Watch, 7215 Lake St. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It works for breakfast before the weekend's 9 a.m. free skate, or lunch after the rink switches to hockey at noon.
• Panera Bread, 7349 Lake St. Soups, sandwiches and bakery sweets for a quick bite.

Put together, a good winter Saturday in River Forest might be the 9 a.m. free skate at Constitution Park, then a box of toffee at River Forest Chocolates or a pot of tea at Joy Tea. On December 5, that Saturday can also include the trolley from The Depot.

If you're an Oak Park-area neighbor who likes knowing what's happening around town, Dalton Home Collective would be glad to stay in touch. Monica and the team follow the small local details, like the rink flags at Constitution Park and the deadline for a tree on Lake Street. When it's time to talk about your own home, schedule a consultation and we'll bring that same local knowledge to it.