Bee Cave on Ice Opens Friday. Plan Your Evening Skates Before the Winter Break Hours Start

Bee Cave on Ice opens Friday, Nov. 13, behind City Hall at 4000 Galleria Parkway and stays open through Jan. 18, 2027. That's 67 days of real ice at the Hill Country Galleria. The rink doesn't keep the same hours the whole time, though. Once Lake Travis ISD's winter break starts on Dec. 18, the rink closes at 7 p.m. every day, Fridays and Saturdays included. If you picture a cold night and skating under the lights, most of those chances come before the holidays.

The city made the rink a permanent annual event back in 2023, Community Impact reported. You may already know the rink is coming back. The schedule is what's worth a closer look, because it decides which nights fit your plans.

How the season splits into five stretches

On a regular week, the rink is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday from noon to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last sessions start at 8 p.m. on weeknights, 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 p.m. on Sundays.

On Lake Travis ISD school holidays, plus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and MLK Day, the rink runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the last session starts at 6. The city lists those school holidays as Nov. 23 to 27 and Dec. 18 through Jan. 5. Put that together and the season looks like this:

• Opening stretch, Nov. 13 to 22: Regular hours. Opening Friday and Saturday both run until 10 p.m., and the season's first discounted Tuesday falls in this stretch.
• Thanksgiving week, Nov. 23 to 27: The rink is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. That's good for daytime skating with kids out of school and short on evening time.
• Main evening stretch, Nov. 28 to Dec. 17: Regular hours come back, and the Galleria's holiday events start up around the rink. This is the three-week stretch where late weekend skating and the plaza events overlap.
• Winter break, Dec. 18 to Jan. 5: The rink closes at 7 p.m. every day. Morning and early afternoon sessions are much easier to come by.
• Closing stretch, Jan. 6 to 18: Regular hours return for the last two weeks, and the season ends on MLK Day with 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours.

The first Friday and Saturday of winter break show the change most clearly. Friday, Dec. 18 would normally mean skating until 10 p.m., but the last session that day starts at 6. Saturday, Dec. 19 works the same way.

The five $11 Tuesdays, and the one with Santa

Regular admission is $16 plus tax for 50 minutes on the ice, and that includes skate rental. On Tuesday Community Nights, the same session costs $11 plus tax. That saves $5 per skater, or $20 before tax for a group of four. Here are the dates:

1. Nov. 17. The first discounted night, four days after opening. Hours are the regular weeknight 3 to 9 p.m.
2. Dec. 1. The Tuesday after Light Up the Plaza, so the Galleria's tree is already up.
3. Dec. 8. Another regular weeknight. Santa isn't at the Galleria on this one.
4. Dec. 15. The only Community Night that falls during Santa's hours. The Galleria's Photos with Santa runs 5 to 8 p.m. every night from Dec. 14 through 17. On this Tuesday you can pay $11 to skate and visit Santa's workshop in the same evening.
5. Jan. 12. The last discounted night, after school is back in session and regular hours have returned.

All five fall on regular-hours weeks, so every Community Night has sessions running until 9 p.m. Dec. 15 is also the last discounted night before the 7 p.m. closing time takes effect three days later.

Saturdays when the Galleria fills in around the rink

Starting Nov. 28, the Hill Country Galleria schedules events at the plaza around the rink. Weekend evenings in this stretch can turn into more than a skating trip.

Saturday, Nov. 28: Light Up the Plaza

Light Up the Plaza runs 5 to 8 p.m., and admission and parking are free. Magnolia Musical Theatre performs at 5. Santa arrives and the tree is lit at 5:45, and Thompson Square plays at 6. It's a regular Saturday on the rink schedule, so sessions run until 10 p.m. and the last one starts at 9. You could watch the tree lighting, have dinner, and still get on the ice afterward. Photos with Santa also begin that weekend and run 1 to 8 p.m. on both Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.

Saturday, Dec. 5: the busiest day of the season

This one Saturday has the Jingle Bell 5K, the first Saturday of the holiday market, a full afternoon of Santa, and regular rink hours. In order, it looks like this:

1. 7 a.m.: Jingle Bell 5K festivities begin at the Galleria, and races start at 8.
2. 10 a.m.: The rink opens.
3. 11 a.m.: The Bee Cave Holiday Market opens in the Galleria Central Plaza and runs until 7 p.m.
4. 1 p.m.: Photos with Santa begins and continues until 8 p.m.
5. 9 p.m.: The rink's last session starts.

The market is also open the night before, Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 9 p.m. Santa is there that Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. If you'd rather skip the Saturday crowds, Friday evening covers the same three things.

Dec. 11 and 12, then Dec. 18 and 19

The second market weekend follows the same pattern. It's open Friday, Dec. 11 from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Santa is there both days. The third weekend is where the winter break hours start to matter. On Friday, Dec. 18, the market stays open until 9 p.m., but the rink's last session starts at 6. For skating plus shopping that day, skate first.

Before you go: tickets, skates, rain and parking

Tickets are sold online on a first-come, first-served basis. The city also offers limited walk-up purchases at the rink by QR code. If your session is full, staff will point you to the next open time slot. Ticket links and alerts are on the city's Bee Cave on Ice page, and you can sign up for the city newsletter there for ticket notices.

Rental skates come in sizes from Toddler 8 through Adult 15, and double-runner skates are available for young children. Skating goes on in light rain or drizzle. If heavy rain or severe storms close the venue, the city emails ticket holders and reschedules. Parking is in the Galleria lots near City Hall. The rink is also open to private events and groups, and the city's FAQ page has the contact for booking.

Each session lasts 50 minutes, which is about right for young skaters. That still leaves you most of an evening at the Galleria.

Warming up after 50 minutes on the ice

Winston's: Coffee, Provisions & Pizza opened Dec. 3, 2025 at 13420 Galleria Circle, Ste. A-140. That was a few weeks after last season's rink opened, so this is the first season it's in place from opening day. Community Impact described the menu as running from fresh-roasted coffee and donuts to Italian sandwiches and Neapolitan-style pizza, with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coffee before a winter break morning session or pizza after a Tuesday Community Night both work.

The Galleria directory lists a few more options around the plaza:

• Amy's Ice Creams, for anyone who still wants something cold after the rink.
• Buenos Aires Café, which sits next to Santa's indoor workshop. Good for dinner on a Santa night.
• Café Blue and Chisos Grill, for a sit-down meal before or after skating.
• All Star Burger, for a quick bite.
• Barnes & Noble Café, for a hot drink and a browse while the kids skate a second session.

If you want a weekend evening with more going on at the plaza, Dec. 4 or Dec. 11 covers skating, the market, Santa and dinner in one trip with no early cutoff. For the best price, Dec. 15 is the $11 night that lines up with Santa's hours.

If the rink season has you thinking about how your own weeknights and weekends in Bee Cave might look in a different home, or you're weighing a move closer to the Galleria and Lake Travis, I'm happy to talk it through with you, no pressure. Stacey Michelle Homes is here whenever you're ready. Let's Connect.