Here's where to find Seattle's best places to go ice skating

While Christmas lights, Santa encounters and holiday parades may be at the top of your Seattle holiday to-do list, ice skating is another fun activity that can be enjoyed all season long.

From outdoor pop-up rinks, to indoor rinks, to hockey rinks, keep reading for the best places to go ice skating in the Seattle area.

Pop-up rinks

To really get in the Christmas mood, lace up your skates at the Washington State Fairgrounds which will be decked out in Holiday Magic cheer. Surrounded by holiday tunes and twinkling lights, the Holiday Ice Skating Rink is an add-on attraction operating select dates in December from 5 to 10 p.m. Adults can warm up at the fire and enjoy a cool beverage at the Yeti Bar & Fire Pit.

Celebrating its 24th season, the  Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink is open every day now through Jan. 9. Wear your best Seahawks gear on game days and your finest Christmas sweaters on Ugly Sweater Days (Nov. 27, Dec. 11 and Christmas). For those with cold feet, free skating lessons are available on select evenings.

Located at the Snohomish Valley Golf Center, the indoor Snohomish Valley Ice Rink uses Smart Rink Technology instead of real ice. Fifty-minute skate sessions are available at the top of every hour. Each session is limited to 40 people, so reserve your time online before you go. While there, warm up with a bite to eat at the Valley Grill.

Hockey rinks

Skate like an NHL player at the Kraken Community Iceplex this holiday season. Public skate sessions are available seven days a week but vary greatly from day to day, so book a session ahead of time. While there, be sure to check out the 32 Bar & Grill where you can warm up with poutine, buffalo wings, crab mac & cheese and more.

Public skating is available on the Silvertips' ice at the Angel of the Winds Arena at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday as well as various other times on Fridays through Sundays.

The home of the Puget Sound Amateur Icesports Association, Tacoma Twin Rinks is hosting public skating sessions on Fridays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 4:15 to 7 p.m.

Indoor rinks

Highland Ice Arena offers 25-minute small group learn-to-skate lessons (only five skaters per class) which include a free skate session to try out the ice solo. The rink is open seven days a week and offers multiple 90-minute sessions each day, but you must book your session online ahead of time.

Sno-King Ice Arenas offers three locations. The Kirkland Arena is a basic, light and bright NHL-sized rink. The Renton Arena is a little fancier with two ice rinks and disco lighting. And the Snoqualmie Arena, the newest of the three rinks, features two NHL-sized rinks and view areas upstairs.

The Kent Valley Ice Centre features 66,000 square feet of rounded ice, 1,000 pairs of skates available to rent, and three to four open skate sessions a day.

People have been sliding into the Lynnwood Ice Center for over 30 years now. Despite its age, the rink offers up-to-date features such as a surround sound system and a well-stocked snack bar. This rink is open for free skate Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.