Open session · Faq
Open session in Concord Mills: asked and answered
Short answers to the things worth knowing in advance.
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
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.
The short answers
The mix of ages on an open session is part of the appeal - and the reason to keep an eye out for smaller skaters when the rink is busy.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
The longer answers
Families spread out. One parent skates with the confident child, the other stays near the rail with the one who is still deciding, and both are on the same ice.
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
Still worth asking on the day
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
Questions parents ask
Is a session structured?
An open session is free skating rather than a class.
Can parents go on the ice too?
Skating with a nervous child is usually the fastest way to get them moving.
How do I get in touch?
By phone on +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925, or by e-mail at info@newlife-entertainment.com.
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
Weekends bring more of Concord Mills out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Count on the drive home being the conversation. Children tell you what they actually thought about twenty minutes after leaving.
If you are coming from Concord Mills, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.