Bee Cave's ice rink opens at 3 p.m. on school days and at 10 a.m. once Lake Travis ISD lets out for break. The city sets those hours, and they follow the school calendar more than the shopping calendar.
Bee Cave on Ice is open November 13, 2026 through January 18, 2027. It sits behind City Hall at 4000 Galleria Parkway, and the City of Bee Cave runs it. It started in 2022. Community Impact reported more than 25,000 skaters in that first season. In 2023 the City Council made it a permanent annual event, and that same report cited city documents counting another 75,000 people who came to Bee Cave during the event on top of the skaters.
So the rink is a city program, and everything else on the Hill Country Galleria's holiday calendar is arranged around it. The tree lighting, the December market, the 5K and the Santa photos all happen within a short walk of the ice. If you know how the rink's week is laid out, you can plan the rest of your season around it.
The rink keeps school hours
Here is the regular weekly schedule from the City of Bee Cave's rink page:
| Day | Open | Last session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Friday | Noon to 9 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 6 p.m. |
A 3 p.m. weekday opening means the rink is closed during the school day. When LTISD is out, the schedule changes. On the district's school holidays, listed as November 23 to 27 and December 18 through January 5, the rink runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a 6 p.m. last session. Thanksgiving Day on November 26, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and MLK Day on January 18 all get the same 10-to-7 hours.
The trade-off runs both ways. Over Thanksgiving week and the long winter break, you get morning ice on what would usually be a weekday, but the rink closes two hours earlier than it does on a regular weeknight. If your idea of a holiday skate is a 7:30 p.m. session after dinner, plan it for a school week. If you want morning ice with kids who are off school, plan it for a break. The season ends on MLK Day, January 18, which is also a short-hours day.
Hours can change over a season like this, so check the city page before you drive over.
The cheapest ice is on a Tuesday
A regular ticket is $16 plus tax. That covers 50 minutes of skating and skate rental. On five Tuesday Community Nights, the price drops to $11 plus tax: November 17, December 1, December 8, December 15 and January 12.
That saves $5 per skater. For a family of four, a Tuesday session costs $44 before tax, compared with $64 on any other day. None of the five discount nights falls on a school holiday, so all of them run on regular weeknight hours, 3 to 9 p.m., with the last session at 8.
How tickets work matters more on busy nights:
- Tickets are sold online in advance, first come, first served. You can also buy them at the rink, but walk-up buyers are shown a QR code to purchase on their phones, and if the current time slot is full they are offered other times.
- Your ticket is good only for the date and time you booked, and it is non-refundable.
- Skating continues in light rain or drizzle. If heavy rain or severe storms close the rink, ticket holders get an email and can reschedule.
The city's own page says popular dates fill fast, so booking ahead is the safest way to get the session you want.
Saturday, Nov. 28 is the one night the plaza is programmed start to finish
Most nights the rink is the only scheduled thing happening. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the Galleria builds a full evening around it. Light up the Plaza runs 5 to 8 p.m. with free admission and parking, plus ice skating, giveaways, face painting and refreshments.
The posted schedule:
- 5 p.m. The program opens with a performance by Magnolia Musical Theatre.
- About 5:45 p.m. Santa arrives, and Mayor Kara King lights the tree.
- 6 p.m. A live music opener, then a main performance by Thompson Square.
The Galleria says the times are approximate and that it will post any weather cancellations on the event page. That Saturday also falls in the middle of the LTISD Thanksgiving break, but the rink returns to regular Saturday hours that day, open until 9 p.m. with an 8 p.m. last session. That gives you an hour of skating after the concert if you booked ahead.
DIY Santa photos start around the same weekend. They are free, indoors next to Buenos Aires Café, and offered on select days through December 24.
December weekends pair the rink with the market, and Dec. 5 adds a race
Once the tree is lit, the plaza's December schedule moves to weekends. Penny V Productions and Hill Country Galleria host the Bee Cave Holiday Market in Central Plaza on three straight weekends:
- Fridays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The market brings in rotating local Austin makers selling handmade goods, along with family activities that include skating at the rink, Santa photos and face painting. Since the makers rotate, the first weekend's tables will not be the same as the last weekend's. Penny V Productions' vendor page lists artisans, crafters and food vendors, and says nonprofits may take part at no charge.
Saturday, December 5 is the busiest day of the season. The Bee Cave Chamber of Commerce's Jingle Bell 5K and Kids Dash starts at the Galleria, with festivities at 7 a.m. and races at 8 a.m. On Athlete Guild's registration page, 5K entry is $30 through November 21, then $35 from November 22 through December 2. Kids Dash entry is $15. The route is listed as the "Galleria 5K."
That Saturday, the race morning ends around the time the rink opens at 10, and the holiday market opens at 11. A family could run, skate and shop without moving the car. The December 12 and 19 Saturdays offer the same rink-plus-market pairing without the race crowd. December 19 also falls inside the LTISD winter break, so the rink closes at 7 p.m. that day. The market closes at 7 p.m. on Saturdays anyway, so the two still line up.
Sundays follow their own routine. The Bee Cave Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Galleria Central Plaza, and the rink opens at 10 a.m. Sundays, so a morning produce run and a skate session fit together easily.
Where to warm up between sessions
Fifty minutes on the ice leaves plenty of evening, and the Galleria's restaurant directory covers most moods within walking distance of City Hall.
- Something sweet: Amy's Ice Creams, Einstein Bros. Bagels, or the Barnes & Noble Café.
- A sit-down dinner: Chisos Grill, Saltgrass Steak House, Tony C's Coal Fired Pizza, Tadashi Sushi, or The League Kitchen & Tavern.
- Something quick and casual: All Star Burger, Madam Mam's Thai Cuisine, Panera Bread, or Chili's Grill & Bar.
- Right by the Santa photos: Buenos Aires Café.
Café Blue belongs on this list too. Community Impact covered its 20th anniversary at the Galleria in May 2026. That makes it one of the longest-running restaurants on a plaza that turns into a holiday venue every winter.
Parking is free across the Galleria's surface lots and its three north-end garages. The Galleria's guest services page lists those free options. For the rink itself, the city's Bee Cave on Ice FAQ tells skaters to park in Galleria parking near City Hall.
If you're planning a season of Tuesday sessions and market Saturdays at the Galleria, we'd love to compare notes. At Austin Home Girls Realty, we spend our weeks in Bee Cave, and a winter calendar that runs on the school schedule is one of the things we talk through with neighbors here. When you're ready to find a home this close to the rink, let's talk. Find Your Austin Home.
