PM Hotel Group has opened a synthetic skating rink on the roof terrace of the Canopy by Hilton in North Bethesda.
Skating sessions are available from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Adults can rent equipment and skate for $17, children for $14.
The hotel partnered with local nonprofit Mel’s Rink Foundation, an organization providing athletic training and sports education to people with physical and mental disabilities. The group has also operated rinks at the Watergate Hotel in Washington and on Governors Island in New York.
Synthetic rinks use plastic panels to create an ice-like surface that can be easily transported to indoor and outdoor locations.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mel’s Rink back to Montgomery County, to our hotel and the Pike & Rose neighborhood,” hotel spokeswoman Alexandra Byrne said in a statement. “Transforming our roof and opening the skating rink for the winter allows us to continue to build our relationship with the community, offering activities for kids and parents alike.”
Mel’s Rink founder Marc Kohn said the pop-up rink’s arrival at the hotel was “basically just happenstance,” as Byrne caught a glimpse of the one at the Watergate after visiting the Kennedy Center and reached out with interest. Byrne asked about bringing the rink sometime next year, but the operation at the Watergate closed early so Kohn suggested February.
The operation is run like a community arena, where skaters can grab sticks and play hockey or simply skate around the rink, Kohn said. The passes last all day and there aren’t any set guidelines for activities out on the ice.
“You just come out and have fun,” Kohn said.
Biker Barre opens in Cabin John Village
A Capitol Hill fitness studio is opening its second location, in Potomac, Monday.
Biker Barre offers music-driven classes for cycling and the ballet barre. Workouts can be separate, but back-to-back classes provide the classic Biker Barre experience.
Classes are offered seven days a week to customers of all fitness levels.
One class at the Cabin John location costs $25, with monthly memberships running $230 for unlimited sessions. As part of a grand opening special, memberships are $150 for the first month.
Biker Barre opened in 2012 and said it the first indoor cycling and barre studio in Washington, D.C.
Sculpture exhibit opens at Silver Spring Civic Center
“The Shape of Things” includes works by Montgomery County artists Shelley Picot, Gretchen Schermerhorn, Amare Selfu and Vidya Vijayasekharan.
The sculptures address issues such as politics and the environment.
The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County held a public reception at the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room on Thursday.
The exhibit is free and open to the public through April 5.
“We are excited to kick-off 2019 with inventive new work by local artists in Montgomery County,” council CEO Suzan Jenkins said in a statement. “It will be interesting to see how each sculptor’s unique perspective of current affairs sparks constructive dialogue among members of our diverse community.”
