Brileigh Malcolm (left) and Rayne Hartman (right) watch as disco balls shimmer and spin lights across the ice for skaters during Rock on Ice.

NEW ULM — Every Friday night from mid-October to about February, New Ulm’s Civic Center goes dark for Rock on Ice.

“We turn the lights off and have disco balls and disco lights we play Z99 for the kids and teens,” said Civic Center employee Brody Peterson. “It’s like a disco skate is the best way to describe it. Admission is $5.50 and $3 for skate rentals.”

“Rock on Ice is going pretty good,” said Colin Anderson, a Civic Center employee.

“A decent amount of people come,” said Zoe Uhde, another Civic Center employee. “The numbers went up because it got a little slower after COVID. Sometimes there’s a line around 7 when we open.”

“There was a line here a little after 7pm tonight,” said Anderson.

Benches inside the arena fill up with jackets and boots and teens anxious to skate. Harlow Heyer kneels down to tie, Zoey Bendorf’s skates. When asked why she likes to come to the event Heyer smiles.

“I like seeing friends and hanging out and learning how to skate,” said Harlow Bendorf.

Another teen attending the event, Aiden Thompson, said, “it’s something to do.”

Ellie Anderson, Thompson’s friend, has the same opinion as Heyer.

“I come just to get away and be with friends. A core group of us come and skate around,” Anderson said.

Just as soon as everyone laced up their skates, they went out on the ice. Most teens group up and skate around the rink. Some are fast, and it is clear they have a lot of experience on the ice, others, like Kier Haney and two year-old Jynx Townson were slower and used one of the ice trainers, a metal stand with handles, for assistance.

“I didn’t know it was Rock on Ice tonight,” said Tangie McGowen, Townson’s mother.

“They just said do you want to go ice skating, and I said yes. I’m from Florida, we moved here about a year ago. This is Jynx’s, first time skating, and mine, too. The kids are having a lot of fun,” McGowen said.