The Washington Harbour ice rink at 3000–3050 K St NW opens Thursday, November 19, 2026, and runs through February 28, 2027, weather permitting. The season is a little over three months long. The schedule is much more generous at the start than at the end. In November and December, the rink runs midday sessions every day of the week. Once January begins, Monday through Wednesday open at 3 p.m., and weekday morning party rentals end except on Fridays.
If you live a few blocks up the hill, that changes how you plan. For a weekday lunch-hour skate, or for out-of-town relatives with free daytime hours, the window is roughly November 19 through New Year's. After that, the rink mostly opens in the afternoon and evening.
A Thursday opening puts the rink ahead of the holiday rush
Last season, the Georgetown BID's opening notice set a target of Tuesday, November 25, "give or take a few days, weather permitting." That date was two days before Thanksgiving 2025. This year, the Washington Harbour rink page lists November 19, about a week earlier.
So the rink gets three ordinary days, Thursday through Saturday, before its Thanksgiving week schedule starts on Sunday, November 22. Last season's target gave the rink two days before the holiday. This season it is open for the whole holiday week and the weekend before it.
The date still depends on the weather. Washington Harbour says it posts weather closures on its Instagram and Facebook pages, so check there before you head down on opening day.
November and December carry the daytime ice
Every public session lasts 90 minutes. The posted session times show where the season's daytime ice falls.
| Days | November & December sessions | January & February sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Monday – Wednesday | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm | 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm |
| Thursday | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm |
| Friday & Saturday | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm, 9 pm | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm, 9 pm |
| Sunday | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm | 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm |
Add up a regular week and the rink runs 37 public sessions in November and December, compared with 31 in January and February. Weekday daytime sees the biggest cut. From Monday through Friday, sessions starting at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. go from ten a week to four, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lose them all.
The calendar matters too. November 19 through December 31 is about six weeks. January 1 through February 28 is about two months. Most of the season runs on the shorter schedule, so the stretch with the most open ice comes first.
The holidays push closing time to 10:30 p.m.
The rink's holiday schedule stays open later on most of the days when Georgetown households tend to have guests.
- Sunday, Nov 22 – Tuesday, Nov 24: sessions from 11 am to 8:30 pm
- Wednesday, Nov 25: 11 am to 10:30 pm
- Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov 26: 11 am to 6:30 pm
- Friday, Nov 27 and Saturday, Nov 28: 11 am to 10:30 pm
- Monday, Dec 21 – Wednesday, Dec 23: 11 am to 10:30 pm
- Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec 24: 11 am to 6:30 pm
- Christmas Day, Friday, Dec 25: 1 pm to 10:30 pm
- Saturday, Dec 26 – Wednesday, Dec 30: 11 am to 10:30 pm
- New Year's Eve, Thursday, Dec 31: 11 am to 8:30 pm
- New Year's Day, Friday, Jan 1 and Saturday, Jan 2: 11 am to 10:30 pm
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the weekdays of winter break get the 9 p.m. session, which is normally a Friday and Saturday slot. On Thanksgiving Day the last session starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 6:30 p.m., so you can skate in the afternoon and still be home for dinner. Christmas Day opens at 1 p.m.
After January 2, the rink returns to its normal winter schedule. The two exceptions are Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18 and Presidents' Day on February 15, which run 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Those are the only Mondays in the new year with midday ice.
January cuts the morning party slots too
Private rentals change the same way. In November and December, you can book the rink for a morning before public skating any day of the week, either 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. for one hour or 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. for two. In January and February, morning rentals are limited to Friday through Sunday. Evening rentals stay on Sunday through Thursday nights, 9 to 10 p.m. or 9 to 11 p.m., all season.
Posted rental prices, with skate rental included:
- One-hour morning, up to 20 skaters: $500
- Two-hour morning, up to 75 skaters: $1,350
- Evening, up to 75 skaters: $1,000 for one hour or $2,000 for two
- Additional skaters: $15 each, up to 200 skaters total, paid at arrival based on actual headcount
People watching from the side don't count toward capacity. Skate aids cost extra, and socks and gloves are sold on site. A weekday-morning birthday party or office outing needs to happen before the end of December. After that, the only morning options are on weekends and Fridays.
Ten tickets can cost less than nine
The 2026–27 prices are $12 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under, seniors and military. Skate rental is $8 and a skate-aid rental is $10. Each of the first three prices is $1 higher than last season's $11, $9 and $7, according to the BID's 2025–26 notice.
An adult who rents skates now pays $20 a session, up from $18 last season. A child who rents pays $18.
The group rate is the useful number for a holiday crowd. Groups of 10 or more pay $15 per person, and skate rental is included. Ten adults who need skates would pay $200 at regular prices or $150 at the group rate. Nine adults at regular prices would pay $180, so adding a tenth person lowers the total bill. The math changes for kids, seniors and anyone who brings their own skates, so check before you book. For a Thanksgiving-week group of cousins, in-laws and neighbors, the group rate is usually the better deal.
General skating tickets, private rentals and gift vouchers are all sold through the rink's booking page. A gift voucher is easy to slip into a holiday card for a December skate.
The coffee after skating comes from a different counter now
The BID's notice from last season described skating followed by "a hot beverage from a rink-side restaurant." One familiar stop is gone. The Georgetowner reported that the Starbucks at 3050 K St NW, "long a staple at Washington Harbour," closed the week of September 29, 2025, during the chain's nationwide round of closures. The paper noted that Georgetown's remaining Starbucks is at 1810 Wisconsin Ave NW.
Coffee to go is still available at the rink. Founding Farmers Fishers & Bakers at 3000 K St NW runs First Bake Cafe, which sells house-roasted coffee, house-made pastries and breakfast tacos to go. Bozzelli's, also at 3000 K St NW, serves breakfast bites and Italian deli fare, which is easy to carry back to the rail between sessions.
For a sit-down meal after an evening session, the complex still has a full lineup. Sequoia is at 3000 K St NW, and Guapo's Cocina & Bar is at 3050 K St. Fiola Mare, Tony & Joe's and Nick's Riverside Grill all have current menus posted. River Club is the newest of the group. WTOP reported that it opened July 6, 2024, in redesigned space that Bangkok Joe's used to occupy, and this will be only its third skating season next door.
The rink sits on the water, and Washington Harbour's page lists views of the Potomac River, the Kennedy Center, Key Bridge and historic Georgetown. The BID calls it DC's largest outdoor ice skating venue. For a midday skate with guests, Thanksgiving week, Sunday, November 22 through Saturday, November 28, has sessions starting at 11 a.m. every day. Every December day except Christmas does too.
If you're hosting family for Thanksgiving and want the group rate for a morning on the ice, I'm glad to share how we plan these waterfront outings for clients and their guests. Hugh McDermott is always happy to talk Georgetown, on the ice or off it. Let's connect.
