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February 21, 2021 2/21/21: Lake Ellyn is closed for skating. Water is pushing up through the ice making the surface unstable and unsafe for skating. The east rink at Newton Park (natural ice) and the Polar Plaza (synthetic/plastic ice) remain open. Hours of operation at the Polar Plaza are noon to 9pm. For the latest updates on ice conditions, visit gepark.org/hotline or click here to learn more about the Polar Plaza. If you need skates, skate sharpening, or skate repair, please check with Paul’s Shoe Service, 486 N. Main St, Glen Ellyn, (630) 790-1030. Skating is unsupervised and at your own risk. If visiting, be respectful of others and remember follow the 3 Ws: wear a face covering, watch your distance, and wash your hands.
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February 18, 2021 The Annual Report provides a glimpse into the major results and achievements of the District during the year. It also provides an overview of where we intend to go in the next year. View the report to stay informed on the operations of your park and recreation system. View the report »
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Glen Ellyn will soon have another place to skate for free this winter, thanks to a partnership between the Village of Glen Ellyn and the Glen Ellyn Park District. The Glen Ellyn Polar Plaza, a new pop-up skating rink, is scheduled to open Friday, February 19, 2021. Read More »
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February 17, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented demand on food pantries, including our own Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. Many of our neighbors are facing food insecurity right now, some for the first time in their lives. Please consider donating non-perishable food items and toiletries any time between 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Thursday, February 25, at Ackerman SFC, 800 St. Charles Road. Those wishing to donate should drive up to the main entrance and stay in their vehicles. Volunteers will unload their donations. View the Pantry’s needs list »
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February 16, 2021 With School Districts 41 and 87 going remote, and in keeping with the program’s winter weather-related closure plan, Preschool and Kindergarten Enrichment classes will be canceled today. The 9:45am Play & Sing with Me class has also been canceled. Unless specifically contacted via phone/email or otherwise posted on the hotline, all other recreation programming will be held as scheduled. Park District facilities will remain open for regular business hours. Stay warm and please be safe with your travels!
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February 12, 2021 2/12/21: A portion of Lake Ellyn is now open for skating! While we are unable to safely get large equipment on the ice, the District was able to clear a significant area with walk behind snow blowers. The skating surface is rough. Please stay off the unplowed areas. If visiting, be respectful of others and remember follow the 3 Ws: wear a face covering, watch your distance, and wash your hands.
Learn if the ice is safe for skating by checking the light on top of the Boathouse or visiting gepark.org/hotline. The Boathouse is not open and for the weekend, the remote restrooms will be closed due to the extreme cold. Skating is unsupervised and at your own risk. If you need skates, check with Paul’s Shoe Service, 486 N Main St, Glen Ellyn, (630) 790-1030, as they have used skates for sale and exchange.
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February 9, 2021 Despite the recently extreme cold conditions, Lake Ellyn still has challenges regarding ice skating. While the ice thickness has reached 8 inches in some areas, significant snow has accumulated on the ice surface over the past months which adversely affects the ice conditions and is extremely challenging to remove and/or relocate. The accumulated snow also serves to insulate the ice, causing the surface below to be unstable in areas and making the ice surface extremely rough. Keep in mind, six to ten inches of snow on the Lake Ellyn, a 10-acre body of water, could weigh upwards of 10,000,000 pounds and some if not all the ice may be compromised.
The Park District will continue to evaluate conditions and determine if reasonable, safe, and practical efforts to provide ice skating at Lake Ellyn is possible. As a reminder, Lake Ellyn is subject to the environment with most conditions not controlled by the Park District. Please refrain from throwing debris onto the ice surface and absolutely no ice fishing. Both actions further complicate the District’s ability to provide safe and quality ice skating. Read More »
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February 3, 2021 DuPage County (Region 8), including Glen Ellyn, has been cleared to advance to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan effective Wednesday, February 3. Please click here for an update for specific areas of interest.
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January 26, 2021 It’s “snow” fun to get out and enjoy the winter weather! Meet us at Newton Park tomorrow (Jan. 27) from 3pm-5pm for a flurry of socially distanced activities. Bring your snow boots, gloves, and a face covering for snowman building, snow painting, and more. Plus, grab your sled or snow saucer and go for an adventure down the sled hill. Free hot cocoa for everyone will be available in the picnic shelter! See you there!
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DuPage County (Region 8) has been cleared to move to Tier 1 resurgence mitigations, which further relax restrictions, effective Tuesday, January 26. Please click here for an update for specific areas of interest.
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January 25, 2021 The Park District recently received some constructive input regarding outdoor winter recreational opportunities. Based on those inquiries, the District will be implementing the following adjustments:
- With limited outdoor skating opportunities within Glen Ellyn due to weather and other extenuating circumstances, ice skating only times have been established for the Newton Park east ice rink. The hours are 11:30am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 5:30pm Monday-Sunday. The other times are for hockey. As this is a natural ice rink and subject to many factors, please click here to check if ice conditions are safe for skating.
- Some players within the Pickleball community have requested access to the Village Green Pickleball courts during the winter. Those courts will be made available if they are deemed playable. Due to limited staff and other priorities, snow removal at the site will not take place. Please click here to check the current status of the Pickleball courts.
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January 18, 2021 It was announced today that DuPage County (Region 8) qualifies to move back to Tier 2 resurgence mitigations. As such, Glen Ellyn Park District will resume in-person organized recreational and sports activities in alignment with the Tier 2 guidelines. Registered participants enrolled in programs which have been postponed, rescheduled, or temporarily moved to a virtual format have been or are in the process of being contacted via phone or email with more information regarding their program. Read More »
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January 15, 2021
Jan. 15, 2021 – Governor Pritzker announced today that DuPage County (Region 8) has not met the metrics required to lift Tier 3 resurgence mitigations. Registered participants in programs impacted by the continuation of Tier 3 mitigations have and will continue to be notified by staff via phone or email regarding program cancellations, postponements, rescheduling, or virtual options. As the mitigation status and guidelines remain fluid and can change with minimal advance notice, please be sure to check your email and voicemail for program adjustments.
The Glen Ellyn Park District remains optimistic that Region 8 will move back to Tier 2 in the coming days. Staff will continue to adjust and adapt to the guidelines while remaining resourceful and creative in providing recreational opportunities for the community. Your continued understanding, patience, flexibility, and support is valued and appreciated.
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January 13, 2021 Make your voice heard by joining an affinity group meeting as part of the Glen Ellyn Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Project on Thursday, January 28! Read More »
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January 8, 2021 Newton Park: Before heading to the park, please check the hotline to see if ice conditions are safe for skating: gepark.org/hotline. With limited outdoor skating opportunities within Glen Ellyn due to weather and other extenuating circumstances, open free skate times have been established for the Newton Park east ice rink. The hours are 11:30am to 1:00pm and 4:00pm to 5:30pm Monday-Sunday. The other times are for hockey.
Lake Ellyn & Lake Foxcroft:
To date, the 2020-2021 winter has not provided favorable conditions for outdoor ice skating on the lakes. Unfortunately, neither Lake Ellyn nor Lake Foxcroft have reached the 8-inch ice thickness required for safe skating and periods of warmer temperatures (e.g., above freezing) and snowfalls have diminished the ice.
Ice at Lake Ellyn and Lake Foxcroft must be at least 8 inches thick to get the necessary equipment, including plow trucks, to remove snow and groom, further challenging the process. This is a substantial task as Lake Ellyn is 10 acres. We will continue to monitor the ice daily and hope Mother Nature provides better conditions in the weeks to come! Read More »
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January 7, 2021 On Wednesday, January 6, Governor Pritzker announced that beginning Friday, January 15, regions that satisfy the metrics for doing so may move out of Tier 3 mitigations. While positive news, as a result of this announcement, several programs scheduled to take place in-person from January 9 through January 14 will be postponed, rescheduled, or held virtually. Participants will be contacted directly via phone or email regarding the status of their program. Read More »
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January 4, 2021
Ackerman SFC is hosting a blood drive (appointments required) as well as a drive-thru drop-off food collection drive on Thursday, January 21st from 9:30am-3:30pm. Click here to make a blood drive appointment or here to learn more about donating non-perishable food items and toiletries to help fill the shelves at Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.
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December 15, 2020 The digital Winter 2021 Playbook, which includes January-March programs, is now available! Resident registration for programs featured in the Playbook opens at 9am Saturday, December 19. Nonresident registration at 9am Saturday, December 26. View the Playbook »
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December 14, 2020 A bunch of Sneaky Snowmen will be hiding in our parks on Saturday, January 2nd from 9am-3pm. Kick off the new year with some free (and social distancing friendly) family fun by using the clues to help us find them this weekend! Click the image below to download a PDF version of the clue sheet. In case you get stumped, an answer key is located at the bottom! Read More »
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December 8, 2020
As Glen Ellyn Park District awaits mother nature to cooperate in order to produce outdoor ice skating, the Wheaton Park District’s two outdoor refrigerated ice rinks are open for the season. Pre-purchased, timed tickets for all skaters are required this year (no walk-up tickets will be available). You must have your own skates. For the most current information on the Wheaton rinks, please click here »
The District will continue to monitor ice and weather conditions daily. For the current status of the rinks at Lake Ellyn, Lake Foxcroft, and Newton Parks, please click here »
If you need skates, check with Paul’s Shoe Service, 486 N Main St, Glen Ellyn, (630) 790-1030, as they have used skates for sale and exchange.
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