Bee Cave on Ice opens Friday, November 13, about two weeks from now, and runs through January 18. The rink is set up behind City Hall at 4000 Galleria Parkway. For Spanish Oaks households, the season that follows happens mostly in one compact area: the rink, the Galleria's Central Plaza, and the shops along Hill Country Boulevard between them.
The location ties into how Bee Cave pays its bills. In an October 15 column in the Austin American-Statesman's Lake Travis View, Mayor Kara King wrote that the city's property tax rate is 2 cents per $100 of valuation and that strong sales tax revenue is what keeps it that low. So the city's holiday events sit beside the stores that bring in that revenue.
A rink that began as a trial
Bee Cave first opened an open-air rink in 2022. Community Impact reported at the time that it could hold up to 120 skaters at once. The first season drew more than 25,000 skaters from over 100 ZIP codes, according to Community Impact's follow-up reporting in March 2023. In April 2023, the city made Bee Cave on Ice a permanent annual event.
The skater count is only part of that first season's draw. KXAN reported that the city estimated about 75,000 total visitors came into Bee Cave during the 2022–23 run. That works out to about three visitors for every skater. Parents, grandparents and friends who came along needed somewhere to wait, eat or shop, and the Galleria is right there.
The city has built around those visitors in the years since. In a November 2024 column in the Lake Travis View, Mayor King marked the rink's third season and listed what was new: Wednesday silent discos, bleachers for spectators and scheduled skating performances. Her October 2025 column promised more food options and more comfortable places to sit and watch. Bleachers, seating and food all serve the people standing at the rail, so the city has spent recent seasons on its non-skating visitors as well as its skaters.
This year's column describes "real ice beneath the stars, surrounded by festive lights and decorations," and calls the rink "a favorite seasonal tradition."
What a session costs this season
The 2026 terms are on the city's Bee Cave on Ice page. A regular ticket costs $16 plus tax and covers 50 minutes of skating with skate rental included. Tuesday Community Nights cost $11 plus tax on five dates: November 17, December 1, 8 and 15, and January 12. Each family member saves $5, so a family of four saves $20 on any of those Tuesdays.
Regular hours as the city lists them:
- Monday through Thursday: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., last session at 8 p.m.
- Friday: noon to 10 p.m., last session at 9 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., last session at 9 p.m.
- Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., last session at 6 p.m.
During the Lake Travis ISD school holidays the city lists, November 23–27 and December 18 through January 5, the rink runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a 6 p.m. last session. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day follow the same schedule. On weekdays in December break that means a 10 a.m. start instead of 3 p.m., but also a 7 p.m. close instead of 9 p.m. Families planning an evening skate over the holidays should check the posted schedule before driving over.
Two policies from the city's rink FAQ help with planning. Parking is at the Galleria near City Hall. Tickets are nonrefundable, but if heavy rain or severe storms close the venue, ticket holders get an email and their session is rescheduled. For current prices and session lengths, use the main event page above.
The Galleria fills in around the rink
The city runs the rink, and the Hill Country Galleria adds its own free events around it. Together they cover nearly every week from Halloween to mid-January:
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Halloween Trick or Treat | Starts at Central Plaza, along Hill Country Boulevard | Treats from Galleria retailers |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Bee Cave on Ice opens | Behind City Hall, 4000 Galleria Parkway | Runs through Jan. 18 |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Light up the Plaza | Galleria | 5–8 p.m.; tree lighting, live music, skating, face painting; free admission and parking |
| Fri.–Sat., Dec. 4–5 | Bee Cave Holiday Market, weekend one | Central Plaza | Fri. 4–9 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Jingle Bell 5K | Galleria | Festivities 7 a.m., races 8 a.m. |
| Fri.–Sat., Dec. 11–12 | Holiday Market, weekend two | Central Plaza | Same hours |
| Fri.–Sat., Dec. 18–19 | Holiday Market, weekend three | Central Plaza | Same hours |
| Mon., Jan. 18 | Rink's final day | Behind City Hall | Last 2026–27 session |
Saturday, December 5 is the busiest day on the calendar. The Jingle Bell 5K starts the morning, the Holiday Market opens in Central Plaza at 11 a.m., and the rink is on its full Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. A household could run the 5K, shop the market's rotating local makers, and skate after dark without leaving the Galleria. Expect a lot of other people with the same idea.
Light up the Plaza on November 28 is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It comes two weeks into the rink's season and lists skating among its activities. Admission and parking are free.
Why the city keeps asking residents to shop locally
The money explains why a city of Bee Cave's size runs a rink at all. In the same October column, Mayor King reported that sales tax collections in fiscal year 2026 were on par with the previous year. She also wrote that because sales tax revenue can fluctuate, the city keeps healthy reserves. She then asked residents to keep Bee Cave businesses in mind for gifts, dining and family outings this season. She wrote that shopping locally keeps sales tax revenue in the community, which lets the city "reinvest in the services and amenities we all enjoy."
The column also gives the other side of that budget. The council adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget with no increase in the property tax rate, and it took effect October 1. It includes spending on road maintenance, sidewalks, parks and trails, plus a new public engagement platform for residents to comment on city projects. The rink, the plaza events and the sidewalks residents use to reach them are all part of that budget. In practical terms, the holiday season is when the city asks for local spending and puts on the events that draw people to the shopping district.
One change on the drive over
Many trips to the Galleria this season will use Bee Cave Parkway, which now has a lower speed limit. The city cut it to 40 mph because of the road's curves and to give drivers more time to react when pedestrians are crossing. Mayor King wrote that new signs are being made, and that Bee Cave police will begin enforcing the limit after a public education campaign. During a season built around crowds walking between parking lots, a plaza and a rink, expect to see the new signs on the drive in.
Before any of that, the Galleria's Trick or Treat on Saturday starts at Central Plaza and follows the retailers along Hill Country Boulevard. It is the first of the season's events, and the rink opens behind City Hall two weeks later.
Our family looks forward to Bee Cave on Ice every year, and we know the neighborhoods around the Galleria and Spanish Oaks well. If a season of skating and markets near the Galleria has you thinking about your own plans in Bee Cave, The Drewett Group would be glad to talk them through with you.
