Pekin Park District’s Memorial Arena will open on Saturday, October 5 at 1:00 p.m. for its first Public Open Skate of the season. Following Open Skate, the Arena will host a free skating exhibition at 2:45 p.m. The exhibition will feature skaters from central Illinois who perform at the regional and international levels.

Exhibition skaters include Elizabeth Casson (age 8), Leah Harris (age 10), Macie Rolf (age 6), Saffron Woodrum (age 8), who are preparing for their 1st regional competition. Jenny Shunykova, age 13, has competed in a regional competition and has attended the 2013 Nationals. Mia Hackworth, age 10, has placed highly in each of her two previous regional competitions and is preparing for her third. Barbie Long, age 17, will soon make her sixth appearance at Regionals. Barbie also has represented Team USA at four international assignments.

The Arena offers Learn to Skate classes for all ages and levels, and is home to both the Precise Ice Skating Team and Illinois Valley Figure Skating Club. The first four-week session of Learn to Skate and Little Stars Pre-Hockey begins Mon., October 7. For more info call (309) 347-PARK (7275) or visit us online at: www.pekinparkdistrict.org.