An adult ticket for a Saturday-night skate on City Green costs $18 this winter. Last winter it cost the same. What changed for the 2026-27 season of Skate City Springs, which opens Friday, Nov. 13, is Monday through Thursday. On those nights an adult skates for $15 and a child for $12.
The city calls this "tiered pricing" and lists it as new this season. In practice it works like a weeknight discount. Weekend rates match last season's flat prices, so the change only saves money for people who skate on a school night. The rest of this season's City Springs calendar points the same way. Weekends are filling up with a Nutcracker run, two touring shows, a farmers market and the city's biggest street party. Weeknights are the quieter, cheaper option.
What changed from last winter
The city's October 2025 announcement for the rink's third season set one price for every day of the week. This season's Skate City Springs page has a different set of rules.
| 2025-26 season | 2026-27 season | |
|---|---|---|
| Season dates | Nov. 14, 2025 to Jan. 19, 2026 | Nov. 13 to Jan. 18 |
| Adult ticket | $18, any day | $15 Mon to Thu, $18 Fri to Sun |
| Child ticket, ages 2 to 9 | $15, any day | $12 Mon to Thu, $15 Fri to Sun |
| Glow skating | Thursday and Friday nights at dark | Every night at 6 p.m. |
| Saturday themed nights | 9 to 11 p.m. | 8 to 10 p.m. |
| Groups | Group rates for parties of 10 or more | Packages bundling food, gathering space and skating |
For a household of two adults and two children, a weekend session costs $66, the same total as last winter. The same four skaters pay $54 on a Tuesday, which saves $12 for the hour. Skate rental is included at both prices, and every session lasts one hour.
The group change follows the same idea. Last season had a discount for parties of 10 or more. This season's packages bundle the ice with food, such as a Classic Pizza Package and an All-American Grill package with unlimited hot cocoa, for birthdays, group outings and private corporate parties. Groups book on the Skate City Springs page. Corporate outings go through [email protected].
Six o'clock is now the main evening slot
Last winter, glow skating ran only on Thursday and Friday nights. This season the city lists Glow Night every night at 6 p.m. So a Monday evening skate gets the same lighting that used to be saved for the end of the week, at the lower weeknight price.
The themed nights also start earlier. Saturday parties moved from 9 to 11 p.m. last season to 8 to 10 p.m. this season, with themes such as K-Pop Vibe, Pajama Party and Intergalactic Skate Party. Anyone who comes in costume gets a free hot cocoa. Fridays are Disco Slide Nights starting at 6 p.m., with neon, sequins and a DJ calling couples' skates, fast laps and possibly a limbo.
Opening night is Friday, Nov. 13. At 7 p.m., the Atlanta Figure Skating Club performs an exhibition to start the season. The city has also named the night Fright Night and is asking skaters to bring out their Halloween costumes one more time.
You buy a timed session online through FareHarbor, the city's ticketing partner, and arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to pick up skates. Capacity is limited. The city welcomes walk-ups but suggests calling (404) 890-6690 first to check availability. That call matters most on the weekend nights, when the rest of City Springs is busy too.
Weekends at City Springs fill up fast
Here is what is scheduled around City Green between now and the first week of December. Most of the activity lands on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
| Date | Day | At City Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13 | Friday | Rink opening, figure skating exhibition at 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 14 | Saturday | Sandy Springs Farmers Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon |
| Nov. 16 | Monday | Whose Live Anyway?, 7:30 p.m. |
| Nov. 21 | Saturday | Farmers Market; A Magical Cirque Christmas, 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 22 | Sunday | Broadway's Rock of Ages Band, 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 27 to 29 | Friday to Sunday | Roswell Dance Theatre's The Nutcracker, six performances |
| Dec. 4 to 6 | Friday to Sunday | The Nutcracker, four more performances; Sparkle on Dec. 6 |
The farmers market runs rain or shine. A Saturday that starts with the market and ends at an 8 p.m. themed skate night keeps the same blocks busy for most of the day.
The Nutcracker shows how crowded those weekends get. Roswell Dance Theatre has ten performances at the Byers Theatre: Nov. 27 at 2 and 7 p.m., Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Nov. 29 at 1 and 5 p.m., Dec. 4 at 7 p.m., Dec. 5 at 2 and 7 p.m., and a final Dec. 6 matinee at 2 p.m. Every one of them falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the same days the rink charges its higher rate.
Sparkle weekend begins with parking closures on Thursday
Sparkle Sandy Springs is on Sunday, Dec. 6. The event starts at 4 p.m., live music from the Ansley Stewart Band begins at 4:30 p.m., and the parade steps off at 6 p.m. The tree and menorah are lit at about 6:50 p.m. Food trucks close at 7:30 p.m. and the gift market at 8 p.m.
The changes on the ground start three days earlier. Street parking along the parade route, Galambos Way and Blue Stone Road begins closing on Thursday, Dec. 3, and stays closed through the event. On Sunday, road closures begin at 3 p.m. on Blue Stone Road, Galambos Way, Mount Vernon Highway between Hammond Drive and Galambos Way, Lake Forest Drive between Mount Vernon Highway and Hammond Drive, and Sandy Springs Circle between Galambos Way and Hilderbrand Drive. Roads are scheduled to reopen by 9 p.m.
The final Nutcracker matinee starts at 2 p.m. that Sunday, and the streets around the theater begin closing an hour later. Matinee guests who parked in the City Springs garage should know the parade schedule. The garage's east entrance and exit close from 5:45 to 7 p.m., and the west entrance and exit close from 6:15 to 7 p.m.
The parade route starts on Mount Vernon Highway near Lake Forest Drive, follows Mount Vernon Highway, turns onto Galambos Way and ends at Sandy Springs Circle. Each section has its own advantages and drawbacks:
- Sparkle Wonderland: less crowded, and folding chairs are allowed, with low-back chairs preferred. You cannot see the tree and menorah from here.
- Mount Vernon Highway: closest to shuttle pickup and drop-off. Viewing is standing room along the barricades.
- City Hall and Galambos Way: the best view of the lighting and the most crowded section. Viewing is also standing room along the barricades.
Rideshare drop-off is at 215 Johnson Ferry Road. Parking options listed by the city include the City Springs garage, with the east entrance at 1 Galambos Way and the west entrance at 6300 Blue Stone Road, and the Sandy Springs Commerce Building at 333 Sandy Springs Circle. The City Springs South Lot at 182 Hilderbrand Drive is for ADA parking only. Shuttle details are on the city's Sparkle directions page, which is the place to check before you leave home.
After the parade, the lights stay on
Sparkle is one night, and the decorations last much longer. The city keeps the tree lit until New Year's Day and lights the menorah each night of Hanukkah. The rink stays open through Jan. 18. After Dec. 6, a weeknight skate under the tree costs $15.
The Byers Theatre stays busy through the end of the year. City Springs Theatre Company's Anastasia runs Dec. 11 through 27. The Holiday Jazz Brunch with Joe Alterman has seatings at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13. On Dec. 31, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra plays a New Year's Eve concert at 8 p.m., followed by a 21-and-over afterparty at 10 p.m.
A new name is also coming to the district. The Sandy Springs Record reported in August that Potbelly plans a shop at 5840 Roswell Road in the Plaza at City Springs. That will add another quick bite within walking distance of the ice.
City Springs is one example of how a well-run public space shapes the blocks around it, and that shows up in what buyers ask about homes nearby. If you are thinking about how your own Sandy Springs home fits into that picture, Jodi Fink Halpert is glad to talk it through over a cup of cocoa. Request a complimentary market consultation, and we'll start with what's happening on your street.
