On Friday, November 6, two outdoor ice rinks open on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. The Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes returns to 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, and Ice at The Oaks opens for its first season at 147 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd, beside the east parking lot of The Oaks mall. Both run into the second weekend of January. Skating had been missing from this stretch of the Conejo Valley for six winters, and now it's back twice over.
In a regular week, the two rinks keep the same hours Monday through Thursday. They differ on Fridays, weekend mornings, late nights, what you pay if you own skates, and what you pay on a Monday or Wednesday. Those details matter more than the shared opening date when you're picking a rink for a given night.
Six Winters Without, and Decades Without Anything Permanent
According to Conejo Valley Guide, the Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes ran every year from mid-November to January until the 2019–2020 season. The Thousand Oaks Acorn covered its seasons in 2015 and 2018. The rink then went dark from the 2020–21 season through last winter.
Before the Lakes rink, the valley had a permanent one for a while. The Conejo Valley Ice Skating Rink opened in 1977 at 510 North Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park and closed in 1994 after 17 years. A Hampton Inn & Suites stands at that address now, as Conejo Valley Guide notes. In the three decades since, a skating trip here has meant a seasonal rink or a drive out of the valley.
That history explains why The Lakes calls this season the rink's "much-anticipated return." The rink sits "above our signature two-tiered pond," in the property's words. Caruso, which owns The Lakes, says the rink is built on top of one of the center's lakes. Ice at The Oaks is new to the corridor. Its official site says the rink is built and managed by Special Ice in partnership with Eventful LA.
Weeknights Overlap. Weekends Don't.
In a regular week, from Monday through Thursday, both rinks are open from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The schedules split after that.
| Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes | Ice at The Oaks | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Nov. 6, 2026 to Jan. 11, 2027 | Nov. 6 to Jan. 10 |
| Mon–Thu, regular weeks | 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
| Friday, regular weeks | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| Sat–Sun, regular weeks | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| Holiday-hour windows | Nov. 21–30 and Dec. 21–Jan. 11 | Nov. 21–30 and Dec. 19–Jan. 10 |
| Holiday hours | Mon–Thu 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri–Sun 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Vary by day, up to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday |
The Lakes holds the daytime hours. It opens at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday all season, so it's the only one of the two you can skate on a Friday before 3 p.m. During its holiday windows it also opens at 1 p.m. on weekdays. Those hours cover Thanksgiving week and the stretch after school lets out in December, when weekday afternoons are free.
Ice at The Oaks stays open later. It closes at 10:30 p.m. on regular Fridays and weekends, half an hour after The Lakes. Its holiday hours run to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Its holiday schedule also starts two days earlier than the Lakes schedule in December, on the 19th. The Lakes runs one day longer at the end, through Monday, January 11. Both rinks list holiday-week hours on their own sites, so check those before planning a visit around Christmas.
The Price Depends on Whose Skates You Wear
The two rinks also charge in different ways.
The Lakes charges $20 if you bring your own skates and $25 with a rental. Tax and fees are extra. Admission is cashless, and the rink recommends booking tickets and rentals ahead through its online reservation page. Conejo Valley Guide reported that public reservations opened October 15. Members of the free Caruso Signature program could book a few days earlier.
Ice at The Oaks charges a flat $22 per skater, rental skates included. Each public session lasts 90 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of ice resurfacing. Sessions have capacity limits, so the rink recommends booking ahead and sells walk-up tickets only if space is left. The real difference is its weekly deals, according to the rink's FAQ page:
- Monday Cheap Skate: $16, outside holiday weeks
- Wednesday Family Night: four skaters for $60
- Wednesday Littles Skate: $44 for one grown-up and one little skater, with a third child free
The math works out like this. A skater with their own skates pays the least on a regular weekend at The Lakes, at $20 before fees. A skater who needs rentals pays $22 at The Oaks or $25 at The Lakes. On Wednesdays, a family of four at The Oaks pays $15 a person with skates included. On non-holiday Mondays it's $16. Monday through Thursday hours are the same at both rinks in regular weeks, so on those nights the deals become the main difference.
Sunday Mornings at The Oaks Are for Lessons
Ice at The Oaks opens to the public at 11 a.m. on weekends, so its early Sunday ice goes to instruction. Learn to Skate classes meet Sunday mornings, at 9 a.m. for ages 4 to 10 and at 10 a.m. for ages 11 and up. Each session is four classes for $185. The first session runs November 22 to December 13, and the second runs December 20 to January 10. A four-week class fits the length of the season, and this rink is the one built around it.
There's also more to do there off the ice. According to Conejo Valley Guide, the Cocoa Cabin serves hot chocolate, funnel cakes, cotton candy and s'mores. When the rink was announced, the Guide also reported plans for a 40-foot Ferris wheel and a 100-foot "Super Slide" on the site. The same report said the rink will stay open every day through January 10, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.
The Lakes offers the setting. Its rink sits on the water at the center of the property, a short walk from the restaurants and shops. On a weekend it also opens an hour earlier than The Oaks.
Picking a Rink for the Occasion
With the hours and prices side by side, the choice usually comes down to when you're going and who's coming.
- A Friday off, or a weekday during Thanksgiving week. The Lakes is the only rink open before 3 p.m. on a Friday. During its holiday windows it opens at 1 p.m. on weekdays.
- Skaters who already own skates. At $20 before fees, The Lakes is the cheaper choice outside the weeknight deals.
- A school-night outing with kids. Wednesday Family Night at The Oaks is $60 for four. Littles Skate gives a parent and a small child their own discounted ticket.
- A late Saturday. The Oaks stays open until 10:30 p.m. in regular weeks and 11 p.m. on holiday-week Saturdays.
- A child who wants to actually learn. The four-Sunday Learn to Skate session at The Oaks starts November 22.
- Visiting relatives in the second week of January. The Lakes stays open one day longer, through January 11.
The First Weekend of December
The Oaks has one more date on its calendar this season. Holidays in the Village, a European-style holiday market organized by the Rotary Club of Westlake Village, comes to The Oaks on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday, December 6, from noon to 6 p.m. Admission and on-site parking are free. The event promises artisan shops, European foods and baked goods, mulled wine, cider and craft brews, according to the Holidays in the Village site. Both days fall in a regular week at Ice at The Oaks, so public skating starts at 11 a.m., the same time the market opens on Saturday.
When your thoughts turn from holiday plans to your own home in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village or the hills around them, Michelle Price Realty Group offers private advice backed by close local knowledge, at whatever pace suits you. Request a Confidential Consultation.
