There is plenty of ice and Zamboni left for those who missed the opening weekend of ice skating at the Macon Coliseum.

“Skating has become a tradition here and folks come out in droves to slip, slide, whirl and twirl on the ice,” said Brenda Thompson, sales manager at the Macon Coliseum. “Last year, we had almost 13,000 skaters come out over the course of the season. This season, we are starting earlier in November and ending later in January and are hoping people will take advantage of the additional opportunities to skate.”

The coliseum still has at least 65 skating sessions on its schedule including Friday night from 5-7:30 p.m. and again from 8:30-11 p.m. The doors open 30 minutes prior to each session’s start and the $10 admission includes skate rental. There is no charge for spectators.

“We encourage everyone to frequently check our website for the most up to date session dates and times, as many dates may be added and seldomly changed,” Thompson said.

With the exception of Thanksgiving Day, there are sessions scheduled daily for the next week.

The matinee skate sessions, which run from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., are only $8.

“(The matinee sessions) have traditionally been the least crowded and often a good choice for those with small children or simply the desire to skate on less populated ice,” Thompson said.

Each session is limited to 325 skaters and the coliseum has rental skates from a toddler’s size 4 to a men’s size 14, she said.

Ice skating at the coliseum dates back to 1997, when the now-defunct Macon Whoopee were playing their inaugural minor league hockey season.

“We are always looking for ways to maximize our event calendar to offer fun stuff to the community,” Thompson said.

It takes the coliseum several days to get things ready for skating.

“We have a whole team responsible for making sure the skates are sharpened and that the chillers, compressors and, of course, the Zamboni are in good working order,” Thompson said. “Our ice-making crew then sets up the dashers and spends at least two days -- and sometimes nights -- flooding and freezing the floor in layers to ready it for skating.”

The result is a 200-by-85-foot rink, leaving the arena cool enough for a jacket and maybe even a hat and gloves.

“The arena is, of course, what I would describe as seasonally chilly as it basically has a 200-by-85-foot ice cube sitting in its middle,” Thompson said.

Ice skating

When: Friday-Wednesday, Nov. 23-25 and 30; Dec. 1-2, 14-16 and 19-24; Jan. 18-21 and 25-27. Times vary by day.

Where: Macon Coliseum, 200 Coliseum Drive

Cost: $10, includes skate rental. 11 a.m. matinee sessions are $8 and include skate rental. Free for spectators.

Information: For specific daily skate times, visit www.maconcentreplex.com