Events · First-timer's guide
Your first skate,
demystified
What to wear, when to go, and how to survive your first lap at Ice at Canoga Park with your dignity — and your tailbone — intact.
Here's the good news: nobody is watching you as closely as you think, everybody wobbles on their first lap, and the rink wall is always right there. Skating in shorts weather under the palm trees at Ice at Canoga Park is one of the West Valley's great winter joys — and it's beginner-friendly by design.
Before you go
What to wear
Long pants (you'll be closer to the ice than you'd like at first), thick socks, and layers you can peel off once you warm up — which happens fast. Gloves are the smartest thing you can bring: they keep your hands warm and protect them if you catch yourself. This is still LA, so plenty of people skate in t-shirts; the ice is real, but the weather is not Minnesota.
When to go
Weekday afternoons and the first session of the day are the quietest — ideal when you're learning and want room to wobble. Weekend evenings are the liveliest and most festive, with the holiday lights at their best. Sessions run about 90 minutes, and skate rental is included with admission, so you don't need to own a thing.
On the ice: five tips for your first lap
- Stand up tall. Beginners hunch over — but bending at the waist actually makes you less stable. Keep your head up and your weight centered over your feet.
- March, don't glide. Start with tiny penguin steps to get comfortable, then let the glides come naturally once you trust the blades.
- Bend your knees. Soft knees absorb bumps and lower your center of gravity. Stiff legs are how people go down.
- Fall smart. If you're going down, aim to land on your side or backside, not your wrists. Then get up on one knee first. Everybody falls — it's part of it.
- Use the wall — and the aids. The rink offers skating aids for the little ones, and there's no shame in a lap or two hugging the boards.
Make a night of it
The rink sits right at Westfield Topanga in Warner Center, so you can warm up with rinkside cocoa, grab dinner at the food halls next door, and finish with a little holiday shopping. Lessons run on Saturday mornings if you want to level up, and the whole thing is built for families.
The season runs November 20, 2026 through January 11, 2027. Check hours and admission before you go — and don't forget the gloves.