As the Christmas season approaches, Columbia County is bringing back a rich arrangement of winter festivities starting Wednesday.
Mike Boerner describes Evans on Ice as a “little holiday festival” that centers around an ice skating rink. Alongside ice skating is a host of activities, events and attractions. There’s a holiday train for kids on the weekends, lights displays and even a pit for roasting marshmallows.
Evans on Ice used to be Augusta on Ice. When Boerner and his wife, Chris Boerner, first moved to the Augusta area, a friend of his had told him that he would take his family out of town to for holiday traditions such as ice skating. The Boerners decided they would bring that where they lived.
“We wanted to find a way to get involved in the community, get something in the community,” said Boerner. “So we’d said, ‘All right, let’s do this.’”
In the midst of juggling full-time careers, the Boerners dove into organizing the first Augusta on Ice festival downtown in 2017.
Boerner said that first year was successful, even with their learning curve. After weighed the pros and cons with holding the event in Augusta, such as power restrictions that forced them to them to use generators, the Boerners ultimately decided to relocate Evans on Ice to its back up, which was actually its ideal spot.
“We always envisioned the rink to be here in Evans Towne Center Park,” said Boerner. “So when that back up came up with the people at Columbia County, they welcomed us with open arms.”
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Evans on Ice has been partnered with the Columbia County Community and Leisure Services for two years, having first held the event in Evans in 2018 and canceling in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Through the county, several events will be part of the festival including the annual Christmas tree lighting, movie nights and the Holiday Market. The collaboration between the county and Evans on Ice comes from an aim to be “memory-makers,” according to Janet Wheatley, county programs and events manager.
“It’s a way to provide a special holiday memory,” said Wheatley. “It’s a perfect partnership for us that we hope to continue for seasons to come.”
Boerner is in tune with the sentiment and goal of fostering lasting yuletide pastimes. The most significant difference at the festival year will be that the rink is larger, at about 60 feet by 100 feet; and Boerner is quick to stress that the ice is not synthetic.
Noting how some have told him that their families would go to the movies on Thanksgiving after dinner, but now come to Evans on Ice, he credits he and his wife’s partnership with the county with facilitating what he hopes to be a holiday mainstay.
“It’s really the one-two punch of the ice skating rink and the work that the county done to make the park even more beautiful than it already is can really create some amazing holiday magic,” said Boerner. “Big groups of families come here and work off their tryptophan by ice skating instead of sitting in a movie theater. It’s pretty special to be a part of making that happen.”
Evans on Ice will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will run through Jan. 3, 2022. Regular hours will be 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. During the holiday break, there will be extended hours. Skating lessons are planned on Saturday mornings.
For additional information and tickets, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/evansonice or its website at https://evansonice.com/.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
