Starting in August 2023, the Riley Arena and Community Events Center will have ice on the floor 11 months out of the year with a one-month break for maintenance. The Park County Arena Board approved the decision in a recent meeting.
Sarah Christensen, the General Manager of the Riley Arena and Community Events Center, said the decision was motivated by the growing culture of two winter sports in Cody and Wyoming.
“Our hockey program has really grown in the last few years, not just within our organization but within the State of Wyoming. So has our figure skating organization. We’ve had a lot of requests for hockey and figure-skating camps and tournaments during the summer months, so it was a decision the Park County Area Board figured would be a good decision to make.”
Historically, the ice has been removed from the Riley Arena in the spring and summer. Events like the Wyoming Outdoorsmen’s Annual Banquet and the Big Horn Basin Media Home and Garden Show have been held in the arena during this time, serving as another source of income.
On June 23, Christensen sent an email announcing the new schedule to organizations that regularly hold events in the Riley Arena.
“I do sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause with your events you have held here in the past years. We would like to thank you for the years of support you have shown our facility, and I hope we can continue our good relationship in the future. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.”
Christensen is confident that the ongoing growth of hockey and figure skating will cover the loss of income from these events.
“With the amount of camps (and tournaments) I’m trying to bring in and planning on putting together, I think we will be okay,” she said.
Anyone with questions about this change at the Riley Arena can contact Christensen or Park County Arena Board President Eldridge Perry.
