click to enlarge Photo courtesy of Flickr/Dave Herholz

This winter, you won't have to go to Forest Park if you want to skate outdoors.

For the first time ever, a 46 foot by 92 foot ice skating rink will be set up in the shadow of the Gateway Arch — with the St. Louis Blues partnering with the CityArchRiver Foundation to bring skating to downtown St. Louis.

click to enlarge Courtesy of CityArchRiver

Luther Ely Smith Square, shown above, will be home to the new (temporary) ice skating rink.

The ice rink will be open from December 27 to January 8 in Luther Ely Square , the newly created public area between the Arch and the Old Courthouse. It's part of a flurry — get it? — of wintry activities scheduled for those two-week period called Winterfest , including an opening night celebration, Try Hockey for Free clinics and a street hockey tournament hosted by the Blues, a whiskey tasting and a family-friendly celebration on New Year's Eve.“Due to the ongoing construction this winter at the Arch we have a great one-time opportunity to host a skating rink in the park,” said Mike Ward, superintendent of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. “We hope that everyone enjoys this fun and healthy outdoor activity.”The rink will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and skate rentals will be available on site. See the Winterfest website for more details