Downtown Toronto's largest skating trail opens next month

Skating season is upon us, so it's time to bust out the skates and jackets, and get some hot cocoa ready. 

While the city offers many public rinks to skate, one of the most magnificent venues for the classic winter activity is the Bentway. 

The space under the Gardiner has been transformed significantly, turning into a venue for dining, art shows, park space, and more. But, most impressively, the 1.75 km-stretch of the city was transformed into a magical skating trail for the first time last year. 

Now, the Bentway will transform into a figure 8 shaped skating trail again, bringing the holiday and wintertime fun back to the awesome new space. 

This year, the skating trail will open December 21, just in time for Christmas. There will be skating lessons, food and drink, and a "winter village" replete with blankets, warming areas, and fire pits. 

According to officials, the Bentway skating trail saw 50,000 visitors over seven weeks, in extremely cold temperatures. They're hoping the magical spot will be a hit again this year.