"We don't expect any organization to come up with several million dollars by Feb. 1," Bill Tschirhart, Kettering's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts director, told the Dayton Daily News after City Council adopted the city's new parks master plan. In the next breath he added, "we also want to make sure that we continue in earnest to find a solution."
That pair of sentences explains the Kettering Ice Arena better than any headline about closing it. The council voted unanimously for the Kettering Playbook. The plan still recommends closing the rink inside the Kettering Recreation Complex at 2900 Glengarry Drive. What it actually set up is one guaranteed season and a funding checkpoint partway through that season.
If you skate there, have a kid in hockey or lessons, or just like the Saturday afternoon public session, this season is settled. The next one isn't.
The dates that matter between now and 2028
Here's how the plan lays out the timeline, as the Dayton Daily News reported it:
- Aug. 25: The arena opened for the 2026-27 season.
- Through the 2026-27 season: The city has committed to keeping the rink open, barring a major infrastructure failure.
- Feb. 1, 2027: The checkpoint. If credible talks about keeping the rink running are underway by then, it can stay open at least one more season.
- May 2027: The rink could close for good if outside groups can't find a way to pay for it.
- May 2028: The earliest closing date if the February checkpoint goes well. The arena could last longer, depending on what improvements a third party is able to fund.
Tschirhart called Feb. 1 a test of whether "there is … at least a conversation that is happening that would be credible." The city says it has heard from a group looking into grants and philanthropic money for the needed improvements. It hasn't named that group. If outside funding comes through, the improvements could keep the rink running for roughly another decade.
Why the answer has to come from outside Kettering
The city's own numbers explain why the plan points to a regional fix. According to the city's ice arena FAQ, the rink had the lowest reported resident use of any parks and recreation facility. About half of its users travel more than seven miles to get there, and about 40% travel more than 10 miles. The major capital needs top $15 million.
So the people who would lose the rink and the people Kettering taxpayers would be paying for are, to a large extent, two different groups. The adopted plan's answer is to take part in "credible conversations about a regional approach to ice" and to consider proposals from third parties. The same fact that put the arena on the closure list is also the strongest case for a rescue that doesn't depend on Kettering alone.
The organizing so far fits that pattern. The "Save Kettering Ice Arena" Facebook group was started by Liz Palichat of Beavercreek. It had more than 700 members when the Dayton Daily News reported on it. Palichat asked council to delay any closure decision by six months and to create a "Kettering Ice Arena Sustainability Task Force." Coverage I found doesn't show whether that task force was formed. A Change.org petition to keep the rink open showed 2,544 verified signatures when I checked in early October.
What a season on the ice costs right now
None of the uncertainty changes this year's prices. Here's the rate card from the Fall 2026 PlayKettering Activity Guide:
| Item | Resident | Non-Resident |
|---|---|---|
| Daily admission, all ages | $6 | $9 |
| Skate rental | $4 | $4 |
| Stick time session | $7 | $11 |
| Freestyle session | $10 | $15 |
| Youth season pass, 17 and under | $80 | $96 |
| Adult season pass | $102 | $122 |
| Family season pass, 2 adults and 4 youth | $230 | $276 |
At the $6 resident admission, an adult pass pays for itself on the 17th visit. A youth pass pays for itself on the 14th. Because the pass covers the 2026-27 season, the city's commitment to stay open through that season means the full pass gets used no matter what happens in February. Skate sharpening is $8 if you leave your skates. Facility manager Tony Habart answers questions at 937-296-3309.
A third-party rink listing shows public skate on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. It also lists adult skate from 8 to 10 a.m. on select Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. That listing warns that hours change with the season, so check the city's monthly schedule before you go.
The Learn to Skate block that starts next week
For families, the closest date on the calendar is the next round of Learn to Skate USA classes. The fall guide lists three weekly blocks:
- Tuesdays: Oct. 13 to Nov. 17
- Wednesdays: Oct. 14 to Nov. 18
- Saturdays: Oct. 17 to Nov. 21
Snowplow Sam 1-4 is for ages 3 to 6, and Basic 1-2 is for ages 6 to 15. Both cost $80 for residents and $100 for non-residents. Sessions run Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to noon, depending on level, and Wednesday evenings at 5:45 or 6:15 p.m. Saturday classes are at 10 a.m. Older and more advanced skaters can take Basic 4-6, Pre-Free Skate and Free Skate 1-6, which cost $88 for residents and $110 for non-residents. Those levels meet Wednesday evenings, and some also meet Saturday mornings.
The guide only lists class dates through November, so winter and spring 2027 sessions aren't posted yet. A child who starts Snowplow Sam this month is building skills on a rink whose next season will be decided while the winter classes are still running.
Who else is counting on that sheet of ice
The rink's regular users show why the conversation reaches past city limits. The city's youth skating page points hockey families to the Dayton Hockey Association and DaytonStealth.com. The current Dayton Stealth schedule has its 10U McLachlan and 12U Schneider teams playing games at the Kettering Recreation Complex.
The Dayton Daily News named the South Dayton Skating Club and Dayton Stealth as stakeholders in the arena. It also spoke with Marianne Dorman, who plays for the Dayton Fangs hockey team. Clubs like these, which draw players from across the region, are the kind of partners a regional approach would need at the table.
Last year the arena held a Winter Wonderland Skate on Dec. 13, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. As of early October, I haven't seen a 2026 date posted.
The rest of the Glengarry Drive calendar this fall
Whatever happens to the ice, the building around it stays busy. Saturday, Oct. 24 brings two events at the Kettering Recreation Complex, both from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Halloween for Little One is free and has trunk-or-treat, inflatables and face painting, and it moves indoors if the weather turns. Wag O Ween runs at the same time with dog trick-or-treating, a photo booth and a costume contest. You don't need to register to attend, but contest entries are due by Oct. 21.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Charles I. Lathrem Senior Center at the same 2900 Glengarry Drive address hosts the Holiday Arts & Craft Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city's listing promises more than 100 vendors.
So on Oct. 24 you could do Wag O Ween in the morning and then catch the 1 p.m. Saturday public skate on the published schedule, all at one address. That's one Saturday at a rink the city has committed to keep open only through May 2027, with Feb. 1 deciding what comes after.
If you're weighing a season pass, signing a child up for the Oct. 17 Saturday block, or just want to talk through what the Kettering Playbook means for the Glengarry Drive campus, I'm glad to help. Reach out to Donte Scott and schedule a free, no-pressure consultation.
