A synthetic-ice rink will be installed on Broad Street between Wallace and White streets, above. Below, an example of one of the vendor’s giant snow globes. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
A stretch of downtown Red Bank will be turned into a one-day winter wonderland complete with skating on Sunday.
Dubbed ‘Winter on Broad Street,’ the plan also calls for a walk-in snowglobe families can use for selfies and a shopping bazaar featuring locally made items.
Both the rink and the globe, which will be installed between Wallace and White streets, are to be supplied by Artificial Ice Events, based in Peabody, Massachusetts, according to event organizer Red Bank RiverCenter, the downtown promotion agency.
The rink surface, a plastic polymer akin to that used to make cutting boards, is coated with a lubricating solution that “reduces contact friction and enhances the glide and speed of the skating experience,” the company says on its website. Skates will be available for rent.
A group of downtown business that promote local crafts — All Things Local, the Local Line and the Red Bank Artisan Collective— will also host a shopping bazaar on Wallace Street to spotlight local makers.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and parking is free on streets and in municipal lots.
Broad Street will be closed to traffic between White and Monmouth streets from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Left turns from White Street onto Broad Street, usually prohibited, will be allowed for the day only. Wallace Street will be closed to traffic from Broad to the entrance to the Metropolitan.
As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service forecast called for sunshine and peak temperatures in the high 30s Sunday.
More info may be found here.