Why is there an ice rink on a pond in Thousand Oaks again? For its first stretch of winters, the answer was a city contract. This season, no contract requires it. The Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks runs from Nov. 6 through Jan. 11, 2027. It's the first season since the pandemic paused it, and it's back even though a later city deal released Caruso from having to host it.
That history explains how the rink started, why it went away, and why the land around it still looks the way it does.
The rink began as a public benefit in the lease
The Lakes sits on city-owned land at 2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. A Caruso company, T.O. Lakes, LLC, has leased the site since 2004, the year the center opened. According to the Thousand Oaks Acorn, the city treated the seasonal rink as a public benefit in that 95-year lease. The rink first opened in 2005 on one of the ponds the center is named for.
The rest of the 2004 terms help explain why the two sides later worked out a different arrangement. Under the lease, Caruso could use the 7.5-acre site for free in any year it didn't earn at least $2.1 million, which is 12% of the $17.6 million it originally spent to develop the center. The property never reached that threshold, the Acorn reported.
The rink became a Conejo Valley holiday tradition until the pandemic suspended it.
The 2021 deal ended the obligation
In 2021, the city approved an agreement that would let Caruso buy the site for $2 million. After building an apartment complex in the center's back parking lot, the company would pay $13 million in community benefit fees over the next four decades, according to the Ventura County Star. According to the Acorn, Caruso hasn't been obliged to host the annual rink since that agreement.
The closing date has moved several times. Here are the extensions the Ventura County Star has reported:
- 2021: The original agreement set a Dec. 9, 2024 deadline to buy the site.
- July 2024: The council granted Caruso's first extension request.
- June 2025: The council approved two more one-year options, pushing the deadline to June 30, 2027, in exchange for two $100,000 payments.
- Oct. 21, 2025: On a 4-1 vote, the council granted a fourth one-year extension. The new deadline is June 30, 2028, and Caruso pays another $100,000, which goes to the city's homeless shelter.
Caruso explained the request through Chris Robertson, the company's vice president of planning and development. She told the council that high interest rates and inflation had made the project unfeasible and that she expected the economy to stabilize soon. "We remain strongly committed to this community and look forward to bringing residential forward as quickly as possible," she said, as quoted by the Ventura County Star.
As of that fourth extension, the apartments were still a proposal. The city's project page describes a 165-unit building with 60 one-bedrooms, 100 two-bedrooms and five three-bedrooms.
So the rink came back while the residential side of the deal was still working through extensions. This winter's skating is Caruso's choice, and the company is presenting it that way. Its event page calls the rink "much-anticipated" and "beloved" and lists Hallmark and The Practice Healthcare as presenting sponsors.
What the rink looks like this season
The basics come from The Lakes' rink page. Admission is $20, or $25 with skate rental, plus tax and fees. The rink is cashless, and Caruso recommends booking tickets and skate rentals in advance through the "Reserve a Time" link. Caruso Signature members get free skates with paid admission. To claim them, you show the downloaded app with a linked credit card at the Holiday Ice Skate Shack. The Acorn reported that the member perk applies on select days, so check before you count on it.
The schedule changes with the calendar:
| Period | Monday–Thursday | Friday–Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 6–20 | 3–9:30 p.m. | 10 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Nov. 21–30, Thanksgiving stretch | 1–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–11 p.m. |
| Dec. 1–20 | 3–9:30 p.m. | 10 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Dec. 21–Jan. 1, winter break | 1–10 p.m. | 10 a.m.–11 p.m. |
| Jan. 2–11 | 3–9:30 p.m. | 10 a.m.–10 p.m. |
Weekday skating starts at 3 p.m. while school is in session and moves up to 1 p.m. during the two holiday stretches. Weekends run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., stretching to 11 p.m. during those same breaks. The booking page has the final word on any given day.
The rest of The Lakes' winter
The rink is the headline, but the center has scheduled plenty around it. Live entertainment runs on The Lawn every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. through Dec. 26. On weekday mornings, the Acorn lists an Apple TV+ Kids Club on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and a weekly Mahjong Social on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., with registration required for mahjong.
The tenant mix is changing too. The Ventura County Star reported that Erewhon set an Aug. 26 grand opening for its Thousand Oaks store at The Lakes. By late October, the Acorn described Erewhon as recently welcomed and named Sora Hand Roll Bar, Satva, solidcore, PopUp Bagels and Bread Head as planned dining and fitness tenants.
Building a December evening around the ice
The rink sits right next to the Bank of America Performing Arts Center at 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., so it's easy to pair skating with a show. Ventura County Local's 2026 Christmas guide lists three holiday performances there:
- Moorpark Civic Ballet's Nutcracker, Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. That's also the first day of the rink's extended holiday hours, so a 1:30 matinee leaves the evening open for weekend skating until 11 p.m.
- Protégé Performing Arts' Nutcracker, Saturday, Nov. 28, at 1 and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. That's Thanksgiving weekend, when the rink is open late.
- Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. On a Thursday in early December, the rink runs on regular hours and closes at 9:30 p.m., so plan to skate before the show.
The first weekend of December has a second stop across town. The free Holidays in the Village market sets up at The Oaks, 350 W. Hillcrest Drive, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6. That Saturday night, New West Symphony performs "Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah" at 7 p.m., listed on the city's events calendar. You could spend the afternoon at the market, eat dinner near the Civic Arts Plaza, and hear the symphony, with the rink a short walk from the concert hall.
The Lakes' skating season runs through Jan. 11, 2027. Under the council's October 2025 extension, Caruso's deadline to close escrow on the land is June 30, 2028.
Curious how a land deal like The Lakes' could shape your part of the Conejo Valley? Meghan Nyback and Christine follow these projects as neighbors. If you're thinking about a move this winter, we're glad to walk you through what's happening near you. Make that move. Get your free home valuation.
