Centre ice · Seasonal
Centre ice in Concord Mills: the summer break plans
The season changes what a visit feels like more than you would expect.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
The nearest of the two centres to Concord Mills is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Why this time of year
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
What changes
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
What to wear
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
If two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
Planning around it
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
Questions parents ask
How long before a child leaves the rail?
Some in the first session, some in the fifth. Neither is unusual.
What are the opening hours?
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
Planning your visit in Concord Mills
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Concord Mills. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
If it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
Coming in from Concord Mills with more than one child, the useful thing to know is that the room does not need to be rationed - there is more than one thing to do at the same time.
The practical details
- XCAV ZONE — 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214: four child-operated machines over a ball pit.
- ICE PARK — 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027: a real rink with bumper cars on the ice.
- Opening hours — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
- Phone — +1 (424) 387-6232 · +1 (615) 968-4925
- E-mail — info@newlife-entertainment.com
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.