Sharpen those skates. The Schweickert Arena ice rink opens the weekend of Dec. 6 at Washington Park in Peru. With the new chiller system, the ice rink is expected to stay open until the end of February.

In January, the Peru City Council approved a $1.07 million contract with SKI Sealcoating & Maintenance to install a new chiller unit for the ice rink.

At the end of January, the city announced that it had been awarded a $600,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant, a program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, to improve the Washington Park ice rink and make it available to the public regardless of weather conditions. The city will match the grants with a 50/50 contribution.

Since the chiller was installed, other amenities included were a concession stand that will be open on occasions during the season and fire pits. Skate rental will not be available this year, but it will be available in the future. Logistics still are being worked out, but the city hopes to have the rink fully operational during Washington Park hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 9

An aerial view of the The Schweickert Arena ice rink on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 in Peru. The ice rink opens this weekend at Washington Park. The concession stand that will be open on occasions during the season Skate rental will not be available this year, but will be available in the future. Logistics are still being worked out but the city hopes to have the rink fully operational during Washington Park hours 6a.m.-10p.m. daily. (Scott Anderson)