"We wanted to have an ice skating rink to offer something during the holiday season that we haven't done before," John Layng, director of Carrollton's Parks and Recreation Department, told the Times-Georgian ahead of the rink's first season, which the city announced in November 2024.
Two winters later, the Polar Pavilion at East Carrollton Park is the second center of Carrollton's holiday season. Adamson Square still has the parade, the Amp and the lights. But the market, the skating, Santa and the Grinch have all collected at 410 North Lake Drive. This year the city scheduled both places for the same Saturday, December 5, so planning that day means planning for two locations.
The Christmas market left the Train Depot first
The change started with the market. In the same Times-Georgian article, Layng described the Christmas market as one "that's usually handled down at the Train Depot." He said that this time it would be held at the ice skating rink instead, on Saturday, December 14, a date the city's 2024 announcement also gives. That first Merry Market had 22 vendors, including Hannah Griffin Art, Laurel Rose Co. and UWG, and ran from noon to 5 p.m.
The market never went back. In 2025, The City Menus reported that it would run beside the rink again on December 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For 2026, the city's Christmas in Carrollton page lists the Merry Market at the Polar Pavilion on Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It promises gift vendors, local artists and creators, and the city says the vendor list will be announced after applications close.
Getting the rink ready took work. April Saunders, the city's marketing and communications director, told the Times-Georgian that the city partnered with Precision Ice because "they had a rink that was actual ice." She said a lot of site prep had to happen before the rink could even be installed. With that much prep behind it, the space is now set up to host more than a rink.
Each season has run longer than the one before
| Season | Rink dates | Approx. length | Merry Market |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25, first year | Dec. 7 to Jan. 12 | About 5 weeks | Dec. 14, noon to 5 p.m. |
| 2025–26, second year | Nov. 24 to Jan. 11 | About 7 weeks | Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| 2026–27, this season | Nov. 28 to Jan. 18 | About 7.5 weeks | Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
The second season brought what The City Menus called a "newly expanded rink" with a spectator section. This season opens on Saturday, November 28, two days after Thanksgiving, and runs a week deeper into January than either earlier season, through January 18, 2027.
The daily hours have also changed. In the first season, public skating ran 4 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 9 p.m. on Saturdays. The 2026 December calendar shows earlier closing times. Regular public hours are:
- Thursdays and Fridays: 3 to 8 p.m.
- Saturdays: noon to 8 p.m.
- Sundays: 1 to 5 p.m., with private rentals after 5
- Mondays through Wednesdays: private rentals only
Several December dates break from that pattern:
- December 5: closes at 5 p.m. for the Christmas Parade
- December 21 to 23 and 28 to 30: open to the public noon to 8 p.m., including the Monday through Wednesday dates
- December 24 and 25: closed
- December 31: noon to 5 p.m.
Tickets are still $10, skate rental included, and the rink takes cards only. Children 12 and under have to be with an adult. Free parking is right next to the rink: enter at East Carrollton Rec's main entrance by the skate park and drive past the baseball and soccer fields. The rink's special events have grown too. This year there's a Skate with the Grinch and Cindy Lou on December 12 from 4 to 6 p.m.
December 5 puts both centers on one schedule
On December 5, the city has programming running from mid-morning at the rink until the 5:30 p.m. parade downtown, and the rink's own calendar notes it will close at 5 p.m. that day for the parade on Adamson Square.
The published lineup, in order:
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Merry Market at the Polar Pavilion, East Carrollton Park
- 2 p.m.: Tuba Christmas at the Amp, with tuba players from around the area playing traditional carols
- 4 p.m.: Kids' Christmas crafts on Adamson Square under the giant snowflake, plus hot chocolate from the Carrollton Police trailer
- 5 p.m.: The rink closes for the evening
- 5:30 p.m.: The Carrollton Christmas Parade, themed "Christmas at the Movies"
The parade starts on Bradley Street near Minden Avenue, moves north through Adamson Square, continues down Rome Street and ends at Spring Street by Neva Lomason Library. The city is also planning to show the SEC Championship game at the Amp that day, with a time still listed as TBA.
Market hours and the downtown schedule barely overlap. The market closes at 3, an hour after Tuba Christmas starts. Crafts on the square start at 4, and the rink closes at 5. Put together, the schedule moves you from the park in the morning to the square by late afternoon.
Halloween week is still all downtown
The fall run-up shows how recent the split is. Every city-listed event in the days right after this post goes up is downtown. On Friday, October 30, the Amp shows Hocus Pocus from 7 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 31, the Amp shows the Georgia–Florida game from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Earlier that same Saturday, downtown trick-or-treating runs on Adamson Square from 10 to 11 a.m., with participating merchants giving out wrapped candy and prizes for standout costumes.
The Amp stays busy after the season moves toward the rink. Home Alone 2 is scheduled there on December 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. The city lists Amp movies as free, at 118 Bradley Street. That's one night before the Grinch skate at the rink. Carrollton's Christmas movie night is downtown, and its character skate is at the park.
The downtown stops that fit between the two
On December 5, you'll likely spend the gap between the market's 3 p.m. close and the 5:30 parade near the square. The city's 2026 downtown dining directory lists several downtown coffee shops. Buzzard's Coffee is at 211 Bradley Street, the street where the parade starts. Gallery Row Coffee and Sprinkles Donuts & Coffee are also in the directory. Butter'dudder is at 207 Adamson Square, Brown Dog Eatery is at 202 Bradley Street, and 1881 Wine Bar is at 304-A Adamson Square.
For a sit-down dinner before or after the parade, the same directory lists Carrollton Chophouse, City Tavern, Irish Bred Pub & Grill, La Trattoria Classic Italian, Leopoldo's Pizza and Chip's Burger Bar. It also lists Loco Mex at 412 Adamson Square and Samba Loca at 104 Adamson Square. If the Merry Market didn't finish your gift list, the city's downtown shopping directory includes Horton's Books and Gifts, Blue Door Gallery, Main Street Boutique, The Vinyl Frontier and June & Grey.
The rink handles food in its own way. Food trucks are on site on Fridays and Saturdays during the season, so a skating trip can include hot cocoa or a snack without leaving the park.
Every year since 2024, Carrollton has added something new at East Carrollton Park and kept its downtown traditions. The season is longer than it used to be, and December 5 is the one day both places are busy. Go to the market in the morning and head downtown in time for the 4 p.m. crafts.
If you're mapping out your December in Carrollton and want to talk about any part of the area, I'd love to hear what's on your calendar. I keep up with these updates because they're part of knowing a place well, and I'm always happy to share what I know. Let's connect. Tina Bantin
