The ice rink is behind Bee Cave City Hall at 4000 Galleria Parkway. The address matters because the City of Bee Cave runs Bee Cave on Ice. Hill Country Galleria lists the rink on its event calendar, but the operator is the city. The 2026 season opens Friday, Nov. 13, and closes Monday, Jan. 18, 2027.
The hours follow the school day, the discount nights are called Community Nights, and the schedule changes when Lake Travis ISD classes stop. If you live in Spanish Oaks or anywhere else in Bee Cave, you can plan the whole season from two calendars: the school district's and the plaza's.
Hours that start when school lets out
On school days, Monday through Thursday, the rink doesn't open until 3 p.m. The city's hours line up with dismissal, not with shopping hours.
| Day | Hours | Last session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Friday | Noon to 10 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 6 p.m. |
When Lake Travis ISD is on break, the rink opens at 10 a.m. The city lists the 2026 school holidays as Nov. 23 to 27 and Dec. 18 to Jan. 5. So the whole Thanksgiving week runs on morning hours, Thanksgiving Day included. The city lists 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the holiday itself, with the last session at 6 p.m. Before a family outing that day, check the city's rink page to confirm.
Admission is $16 plus tax and covers 50 minutes on the ice plus skate rental. Because sessions are timed, a weekday trip after school fits inside one evening. A 3:30 pickup can be skating before 4 p.m. and done by 5.
Five Tuesdays at $11
On Community Nights, admission drops to $11 plus tax. Skate rental and the 50-minute session are still included. This season has five:
- Tuesday, Nov. 17
- Tuesday, Dec. 1
- Tuesday, Dec. 8
- Tuesday, Dec. 15
- Tuesday, Jan. 12
That's $5 off each skater. For a family of four, one Community Night costs $44 before tax instead of $64. Do the same outing on all five Tuesdays and you save $100.
All five dates fall in weeks when school is in session. There are no Community Nights during Thanksgiving week or the Dec. 18 to Jan. 5 winter break, which are the periods when the rink stays open longest. Dec. 15 is the last discount night before the break. After that, the next one is Jan. 12, a week after classes resume. The discounts fall on school nights, when the rink only opens at 3 p.m., and skip the weeks when it opens at 10 a.m. every day.
Two Saturdays carry most of the plaza's season
The Galleria plaza next to the rink is busiest on two Saturdays, a week apart. Both are worth planning around, whether you want to be there or want to avoid the crowds.
Saturday, Nov. 28, is Light up the Plaza. It runs from 5 to 8 p.m. with free admission and parking. The Galleria's listing includes live music, ice skating, giveaways, face painting and refreshments. The schedule:
- 5:00 p.m. The program opens with Magnolia Musical Theatre.
- 5:45 p.m. Santa arrives, and Mayor Kara King lights the tree.
- 6:00 p.m. A live music opener plays, then the main performance by Thompson Square.
The Galleria says these times are approximate and that it will post any weather cancellations on the Light up the Plaza event page. Nov. 28 is also the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Lake Travis ISD's Thanksgiving break ends the day before.
Photos with Santa start Thanksgiving weekend and run through Dec. 24. The Galleria posts the specific dates and hours on its Photos with Santa page.
Saturday, Dec. 5, is the most packed day of the season. The Jingle Bell 5K starts the morning. Festivities begin at 7 a.m. and races at 8 a.m. There's a run, walk or stroll course plus a Kids' Dash. Every Kids' Dash finisher gets a holiday medal, and in the 5K, medals go to the top three in each age category. Food and drinks follow the race. The Galleria's events calendar lists the race on Dec. 5. The Bee Cave Chamber of Commerce handles race details.
The same day is the first Saturday of the Bee Cave Holiday Market, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Galleria's Central Plaza. Penny V Productions hosts the market with Hill Country Galleria, and it brings in a rotating lineup of local Austin makers selling handmade goods. On a Saturday the rink is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., so on Dec. 5 a family could do the race, the market and an evening skate, all on one plaza.
The market runs three weekends:
| Weekend | Friday, 4 to 9 p.m. | Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| First | Dec. 4 | Dec. 5 |
| Second | Dec. 11 | Dec. 12 |
| Third | Dec. 18 | Dec. 19 |
The vendors change from week to week, so the second and third weekends are new shopping trips, not repeats of the first. The rink stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays, and the market's Friday hours end at 9, so a Friday visit can end with a session on the ice. The third weekend matches up with the school calendar too. Friday, Dec. 18, is the first day of Lake Travis ISD's winter break, so the rink opens at 10 a.m. that day. The market opens at 4 p.m.
Winter break, when the rink opens in the morning
From Dec. 18 through Jan. 5, the rink opens at 10 a.m. every day. That's 19 days in a row with morning skating. It's the best stretch of the season for hosting visitors who arrive midweek, because a Tuesday or Wednesday in late December has the same morning start as a Saturday.
There are four fixed holiday dates with shortened hours. All four run 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the last session at 6 p.m.:
- Christmas Eve, Dec. 24
- Christmas Day, Dec. 25
- New Year's Eve, Dec. 31
- New Year's Day, Jan. 1
The rink is open on Christmas Day. If relatives are staying through the holiday, skating can fill an afternoon on a day when a lot of other places are closed. Since the rink closes at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve, it works for an afternoon before evening plans, not as part of them.
After winter break, school-day hours return, and Jan. 12 brings the last Community Night. The season ends Monday, Jan. 18, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The city lists that day with holiday hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Getting tickets before a busy day
According to the city's FAQ, you can buy tickets online or at the rink, but walk-up availability may be limited. On Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and any day of winter break, buy in advance. The City of Bee Cave's rink page has an email sign-up for ticket alerts and the current schedule.
Here's one way to plan the season. Skate on a Community Night in a school week, when it's $11. Go to the plaza on Nov. 28 for the tree lighting or on Dec. 5 for the race and market. Save the 10 a.m. openings during winter break for visiting guests. For any other day between Nov. 13 and Jan. 18, the regular hours table above applies.
If relatives at the plaza start asking what a year in the Hill Country is like after the holidays, from Spanish Oaks to the Lake Travis shoreline, Thomas Luxury Group would be glad to give them a clear, unhurried answer. Request a private consultation.
