For five winters, the city-owned parking lot at the southwest corner of Fourth Street and Cedar Avenue turned into an ice rink each November. While the rink ran, Fourth Street was closed from Cedar south to the alley toward Broadway Avenue. Holiday traffic in Old Town Atwater built up around that block.
That rink now has a new name and a new address. The Rink at Castle opens Friday, November 20, at Castle Commerce Center, 3450 D St., near Castle Airport. It runs through January 3, 2027. The next evening, Castle Air Museum holds its tree lighting a short drive away. So for the first time since 2021, the season's opening weekend happens out by the airport. Downtown gets its turn on December 4, the night of the Christmas parade.
Five seasons on Fourth and Cedar
The rink started as an Old Town Atwater project. In 2021 it ran under a Special Outdoor Events permit. The next summer, Old Town Atwater asked the Planning Commission to approve a seasonal event center on the lot. The city's 2022 planning report described it as "a continual, seasonal community event for a period of 5 years ending in 2026." Setup would start in October, takedown would finish by mid-February, and skating would run from November 1 to January 16.
The rink kept to that pattern for five winters. Here is what each year looked like, according to local coverage from those seasons:
| Season | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Opened to the public November 1. Open 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Razzari Auto Centers was a lead sponsor. | Merced Sun-Star, Nov. 2021 |
| 2023 | $16 admission. Weekday evenings 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., later hours on weekends, and a $20 Sunday morning lesson session. | Merced County Times, Dec. 2023 |
| 2025 | $15 for one hour of skating with skate rental included, and $5 skate assists. Open noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, with weekday hours that changed around school vacations. | Merced Sun-Star, Nov. 2025 |
Those are past-season figures. Admission was reported at $16 in 2023 and $15 in 2025. Check the rink's own pages for this year's sessions and pricing before you go.
The five-year window in the city's planning report ends this year. The same report said the downtown lot couldn't be used for parking while the event center stood, and that the parking would be replaced "in the near future." Thunderbird Community Partner, the Merced County nonprofit that now runs the rink, simply says that "after 5 amazing years in Downtown Atwater, we have now moved to our new location."
Opening weekend now happens on the Castle side
The move puts the rink and Castle Air Museum's tree lighting on the same side of town, a day apart.
Friday, November 20: The Rink at Castle opens. On the rink's announcement page, Thunderbird Community Partner says it is "bringing this magical winter wonderland experience back for the 6th consecutive year" with the help of local sponsors, community partners and volunteers. It's still real ice, outdoors, and the season runs through January 3, 2027. If you're planning a birthday or a team outing, the party reservations page says private parties may start November 27, depending on availability. Parties get discounted skate admission, and pricing comes back through a request form.
Saturday, November 21: Castle Air Museum Tree Lighting & Christmas Festival. It runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at the museum, 5050 Santa Fe Drive. According to the museum's event page, Santa will be there, Copper Wings Cafe will hand out free hot cocoa to children, and treats will be for sale. The Young Professionals Network is running a toy drive at the festival, and those toys go to children who attend. Non-food vendors set up in the museum's Banquet Room, and raffle drawings run through the evening. For questions, the museum's number is 209-723-2178.
For anyone selling crafts or gifts, the museum charges a $25 vendor fee plus a donated raffle prize.
With both on the same weekend, you can skate at the rink on opening night and bring the kids to see Santa at the museum on Saturday. Check the rink's page for its daily session times before you plan the rest of the weekend around it.
Two weeks later, the season comes back downtown
Downtown still has the night that has always belonged to it. The Roger Wood Memorial Atwater Christmas Parade steps off Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m. The City of Atwater's event listing runs it from 7 to 10 p.m. and lists the Atwater 4th of July Committee as presenter. This year's theme is "Parade of Lights, Bells and Candles." Last year's was "A Candyland Christmas."
For the 2025 parade, the Merced Sun-Star's holiday listing put it on Broadway Avenue at 7 p.m. The city's forms have put it on the first Friday in December for the past three years: December 6 in 2024, December 5 in 2025 and December 4 this year.
If your business, church, club or team wants to march, the entry is $45 and the form is due December 1. The city emails lineup and assembly instructions to entrants directly, so you'll get your staging details after you sign up.
The deadline that falls on the same day
Two separate December 1 deadlines matter for Atwater families. One is the parade entry. The other is the registration cutoff for the city's Fire & Police Christmas Toy Drive.
The city's recreation catalog lists the toy drive as a joint effort of the City of Atwater, the Fire Department and the Police Department. Registration opened November 1 and runs through December 1, while spaces remain. It's free and open to children ages 1 to 12. You'll need proof of residency and proof of age. Toys go out Wednesday, December 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Atwater Community Center, 760 E. Bellevue Rd.
Since registration can close early once spaces fill, it makes sense to sign up before the parade and the rink take over your calendar.
The season, start to finish
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Through Dec. 1 | Fire & Police Toy Drive registration | Online, City of Atwater recreation catalog |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | The Rink at Castle opens | Castle Commerce Center, 3450 D St. |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 4 to 8 p.m. | Castle Air Museum Tree Lighting & Christmas Festival | 5050 Santa Fe Drive |
| From Nov. 27 | Private rink parties, depending on availability | The Rink at Castle |
| Dec. 1 | Parade entries due, $45 | City of Atwater |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 7 p.m. | Roger Wood Memorial Atwater Christmas Parade | Downtown Atwater |
| Wed., Dec. 16, 4 to 7 p.m. | Toy distribution | Atwater Community Center, 760 E. Bellevue Rd. |
| Sun., Jan. 3, 2027 | Last day of the rink season | Castle Commerce Center |
Between the rink opening and the parade, the season is spread across three parts of town: Castle Commerce Center and the museum on Santa Fe Drive, downtown Atwater, and the Community Center on Bellevue Road. You can see all of it in one trip across town or across a few weekends.
If you run into Martin at the rink or along the parade route this season, say hello, in English or en español. And if questions about your home come up over the holidays, from what it might sell for to what moving across town would look like, Martin Villanueva is happy to talk them through. Schedule a free consultation whenever it suits your calendar.
