The Ice at Canalside offers discounts to celebrate successful first year

Final day of skating is St. Patrick's Day; crews ready for summer season

As Canalside's historically maligned canals are transitioned from winter's ice to water for the upcoming summer season, the venue is offering discounts to close out its inaugural winter season.

The Ice at Canalside's final day is St. Patrick's Day - Tuesday, March 17 - but special deals start this weekend as a "thank you" to the more than 50,000 skaters, 2,000 curlers and thousands of others who visited our revitalized waterfront this winter.

The countdown to The Ice at Canalside's closing begins this weekend and continues through Tuesday with discounted admission:

• Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. - $2 admission
• Sunday, March 15, from noon to 8 p.m. - $2 admission
• Monday, March 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. - $2 admission
• Tuesday, March 17, from 3 to 7 p.m. - free admission and $1 skate rentals

Looking forward to this summer, the historically aligned canals will be re-opened as they were in the height of the Canal Era days (1830-65). During this time, Buffalo famously served as the terminus of the Erie Canal system and "portal to the west," becoming a centerpiece for world commerce in the 19th century both for legitimate and "illegitimate" businesses alike.

In this century, Canalside will offer new activities for all ages, including motorized boats; a juice and smoothie bar, and a beer and wine bar on the Lloyd Street Bridge; vending space for local artisans; and many other attractions and events.

Visit www.canalsidebuffalo.com for all the latest Canalside news and activities.