Mayor Jim Brainard announced this week that construction on the new Carmel Christkindlmarkt and The Ice at Center Green are on schedule and should be completed in time for the Nov. 18 grand opening in Carmel’s City Center. The Mayor also announced the city has hired longtime Carmel resident and businessman Mike Aulby and his Arctic Zone Iceplex to manage the City’s outdoor ice skating rink.
Both announcements were made during a press conference that included a media tour of the construction site at Center Green, where ice rink panels were being installed and wooden huts for the Christkindlmarkt were being pieced together. Both the ice rink and the market will headline a grand opening ribbon cutting and celebration Saturday, Nov. 18, along with the annual lighting of the City’s holiday tree and an appearance by Santa Claus during the Holiday at Center Green, an event previously held at Civic Square.
“We are excited to see everything starting to come together for attractions that we feel will give our residents and visitors something new and exciting to do this holiday season and throughout the winter,” said Mayor Brainard. “We have always done a lot of nice events here in Carmel, but most of them are in the warmer months. It’s nice to be able to offer something fun in the colder months. We hope everyone will come and enjoy the new German market and the ice rink.”
The investment into these new attractions is part of the City of Carmel’s strategy to connect a strong quality of life to economic development initiatives, which include attracting corporate headquarters and a highly educated workforce to fill those jobs. In addition to excellent schools and safe neighborhoods, Carmel has invested in the arts, public green spaces, bike trails, large festivals and events to raise the quality of life and attract more jobs and more private investment.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt will remain open Wednesdays through Sundays from Nov. 18 through Christmas Eve, except for Thanksgiving Day. It will feature about 30 wooden huts filled with authentic German-made gifts, treats and tastes, sure to harken you back to a more traditional European-style celebration of the season. Meanwhile, The Ice at Center Green will offer ice skating Wednesdays through Sundays from Nov. 18 until March of 2018 (except for Thanksgiving Day), weather permitting.
The City recently contracted with Mike Aulby, owner of the Arctic Zone Iceplex rinks in Carmel and Westfield to bring his many years of experience to the new Ice at Center Green. Mike and his family have been residents of Carmel since 1992.
“We have been business owners and residents of Carmel for so many years. It is very exciting to be part of this new venture at Center Green,” said Aulby, who is one of the owners and the operating partner of the Arctice Zone Iceplex. “We think this will be a fun thing for families to experience and we are hoping to accommodate about 150 skaters at a time on this rink.”
Mayor Brainard shared the following construction updates:
- The ice rink chiller system, which will keep the ice frozen in case the outside temperature is too warm, was installed last week. This will not only keep the ice frozen but it will also be connected to the City’s existing air handling system to help improve air flow throughout several buildings in the Central Core.
- The ice rink panels have arrived and will be installed beginning today.
- The wooden huts for the Christkindlmarkt have been delivered and installation has just begun. These huts should be completed by Nov. 10.
- The holiday decorations will be hung on the huts as they are installed. The furniture will be installed in the week leading up to the grand opening.
“I can safely say that winter in Carmel will never be the same,” said Mayor Brainard.