"To be honest, the ice was used more this summer than it's been used in the last 15 years." Onalaska parks staff said that to the city's Parks, Recreation & Library Board on August 24, 2026, according to the approved meeting minutes. The same minutes say the rink "was busy from 8 o'clock to 5 o'clock" every day during the day.
That was the Omni Center in summer. Starting this week it shifts to its winter schedule. Between now and the end of December, the Omni hosts public skating, the Thanksgiving race and the holiday skating show. The two big outdoor events, the tree lighting and the parade, are at Dash Park and on the parade route. If you follow Onalaska's winter calendar, you'll spend a lot of it in one building, and the city's own budget records show how hard that building is working.
The building behind the calendar
Through August 31, 2026, the Omni Center brought in $656,504.19 in revenue and spent $574,226.92, according to financials the Common Council approved on October 13. Staff told the parks board that the budget has grown "because we have so many more events."
That kind of use wears on equipment. The Omni has two sheets of ice, and the chiller for Arena No. 2 is the one that comes on June 1 for summer ice. Staff told the board they "cross [their] fingers" every time they switch it on. They estimated the city spends $5,000 to $6,000 on motors and wiring during its first four to six weeks of running. Keep that in mind as you look at the winter schedule. Everything below happens in a building the city considers essential and uses at close to full capacity.
Open skate starts Friday
Public open skate begins Friday, November 13, the day after this post goes live. It runs twice a week through late February, and the two sessions don't work quite the same way. Both are listed on the La Crosse Local Omni Center calendar.
| Friday mornings | Sunday evenings | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Nov. 13 to Feb. 26 | Nov. 15 to Feb. 21 |
| Hours | 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Admission | $5 | $5 |
| Skate rental | Free | $5 |
| No skating | Nov. 27, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, Feb. 19 | Nov. 29, Dec. 27 |
| Schedule change | None listed | Feb. 7 runs 1 to 3 p.m. |
Rental skates come in sizes Junior 8 through Men's 15 on both days. The Sunday listing also mentions a small concession stand. If you're taking kids or out-of-town guests who don't own skates, the free rentals on Friday morning make that session the cheapest of the week. Sunday evening fits better around a work week.
Open skate isn't the only thing on the ice. The city's Omni Center page also lists Homeschool Beginner Hockey on its November and December calendar.
Thanksgiving morning starts in the Omni parking lot
The Festival Foods Turkey Trot starts at the Omni Center at 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 26. It's open to all ages and abilities, and you can choose an untimed 2-mile walk, a 2-mile fun run, or a timed 5-mile run. There's also a 2-mile dog jog. The race already has a long history at this building. WKBT counted about 2,500 participants in 2022, the event's ninth year at the Omni.
Here are the logistics from the Coulee Region Turkey Trot site:
- Regular registration, through Nov. 22: $35 adults, $15 youth under 18, $5 dogs
- Race week, Nov. 23 to 26: $40 adults, $15 youth, $5 dogs
- Bib and shirt pickup: at the Omni Center, Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 2 to 6 p.m., or Thanksgiving morning from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.
- Where the money goes: Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs in the host communities, per the event FAQ
Registering by November 22 saves adults $5. Picking up your bib Wednesday afternoon means you don't have to be in line before sunrise on a holiday.
Open skate takes Thanksgiving week off. There's no Friday session on November 27 and no Sunday session on November 29.
December 5 is the Omni's showcase night
The Winter on Ice Spectacular is Saturday, December 5, at 6 p.m. It's put on by the Tri-State Toe Picks Figure Skating Club, Coulee Learn to Skate USA and the City of Onalaska. The show features local skaters performing to holiday music. The club's ticket information also mentions club and regional guest skaters.
On the Toe Picks ticket page, adult tickets are $12, tickets for kids ages 4 to 13 are $8, and children 3 and under get in free. Prices go up on December 1.
Many of the skaters in the show learned on the same ice that's open to the public Friday mornings. The Learn to Skate program, the figure skating club, public skating and beginner hockey all share one facility, and the building's two rinks have different chillers.
Dash Park takes the next two nights
Onalaska's two big outdoor holiday events are a short distance from the Omni, at the downtown end of town.
Holiday Tree Lighting, Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m. The lighting is at Dash Park on the corner of Main Street and Highway 35. Santa makes an appearance, and the city provides hot chocolate and cookies. If you went to the Tuesday night programming covered in our August in Onalaska post, it's the same corner, just in winter coats.
Season of Lights Holiday Parade, Sunday, December 6. The parade is the night after Winter on Ice, so the two events make one weekend. The Experience Mississippi River events calendar lists it from 5 to 6 p.m. Businesses and groups that want to be in it need to apply by mail. The city's parade rules require applications to be postmarked by November 28, with a $25 entry fee. Marching bands are exempt from the fee, and high school groups enter free. The rules are set by the Onalaska Parade Committee, and the 2026 application sends fees to the Parks and Recreation office.
Santa Calling, Wednesday, December 16. The city lists this one on its special events page, which is also where the sign-up form will be posted.
The 2027 question sitting under the ice
In the 2027 capital planning they presented to the parks board, staff ranked a $1.1 million replacement chiller for Arena No. 2 fifth among their Omni priorities. Staff said an engineer is confident in that estimate.
The minutes explain why it sits that low on the list. About $14 million to $15 million in projects were proposed for the capital improvement budget, and the city can fund about $4 million. Staff said moving the chiller to the top would likely mean no other parks project gets approved for 2027. One board member called the chiller "essential to the Omni's business" and said that if it goes down, "the Omni's probably down for the season."
Board members talked about two ways to pay for it. The city could issue additional bonds, as it did for the Dash Center, or the groups that use the rink could raise money for it. Staff said contributions from user organizations would go "a long way" toward helping make the decision. Staff also explained that when the front of the building was redone, the council chose not to spend about $300,000 more for enough capacity to run both sheets of ice from one system. The minutes were approved October 26. They record a staff priority ranking, and no funding decision.
Parks, Recreation & Library Board meetings are public, and the city posts the agendas and minutes. Anyone who uses the rink can follow the discussion there as the 2027 budget comes together.
The Omni is a big part of Onalaska's winter, and I like to keep my clients informed about things like this. If you're thinking about a move within Onalaska or nearby and want to talk about the parts of town you use most, Julie Delap is glad to help. Visit the Onalaska neighborhood page, or schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
