A downtown Cincinnati holiday tradition is moving to a new location this year, extending the winter festivities across the Fountain District.
Long hosted at Fountain Square, the UC Health Ice Rink will now be located at the new Elm Street Plaza, a two-and-a-half-acre outdoor park and venue currently under construction next to the Duke Energy Convention Center. It’ll serve as an extension of the convention center, but when not in use by the facility, it will host programming from 3CDC. When completed, the plaza will feature green space, gardens, a dog park, an outdoor bar, public art, an interactive water feature in the warmer months and the ice rink in the colder months.
3CDC says the ice rink will open at the new plaza in mid-November, offering a bigger and better experience, with more space to skate, an upgraded WGU Warming Tent, cozy igloos and firepits. The rink and surrounding areas will also be available to rent and remain open into February with a variety of programming.
But the holiday fun won’t be leaving Fountain Square. Instead of the rink, the square will host a new, oversized tent called Winterhaus, which will offer daily programming and be available to rent for parties, happy hours or as a co-working space during the day. Major holiday events like Light Up the Square and Downtown Dazzle will still be held at Fountain Square, and the annual Christmas tree will still be located on the square alongside enhanced holiday decor and lighting. Like the ice rink, Winterhaus will be open from mid-November into February.
“This winter, we’re taking the magic of the holidays to a new level by expanding our celebrations across the Fountain District. The move of the UC Health Ice Rink presented by Fifth Third Bank to Elm Street Plaza allows us to create a bigger, better rink, truly enhancing the skating experience for our guests,” Christy Samad, executive vice president of Civic & Commercial Space Activation at 3CDC, said in a press release. “Meanwhile, Fountain Square will continue to sparkle as a holiday hot spot, featuring the Duke Energy Tree and our new Winterhaus tent. We’re excited to welcome the community downtown to make new memories while enjoying their favorite holiday traditions with a new twist.”
3CDC will also connect the two holiday activations from Fountain Square on Vine Street to Elm Street Plaza along Fifth Street with decorations and lights, creating a magical winter corridor that features several local restaurants and bars, including The Davidson, Marigold, Vintage on Race and Mita’s. 3CDC says Salazar is also expected to reopen in the former Saks on Fifth Avenue building across from Fountain Square this winter, as well as a new bar.
You can learn more about holiday and winter programming in downtown Cincinnati at elmstreetplazacincy.com and myfountainsquare.com.
This article appears in Aug 6-19, 2025.
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