Megan Navarro
DRIPPING SPRINGS — Dripping Springs City Council listened to a presentation and discussed an agreement at its Tuesday, June 16, meeting, for a temporary ice skating rink for the upcoming holiday event, Western Wonderland.
The city has partnered with Ice Rink Events for Western Wonderland since the event’s inaugural year in 2023 in order to provide the seasonal 60-foot-by-120-foot ice rink at Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP). A proposed agreement with the same company was brought before city council at its most recent meeting that would allow for operation Nov. 27, 2026, through Jan. 5, 2027.
According to agenda documents, under the agreement, Ice Rink Events would provide the rink system,refrigeration equipment, dasher boards, ice maintenance equipment, rental skates, skate aids, installation and removal labor, project management and ongoing professional support throughout the operating season.
While the total cost for the equipment rental and professional services is $179,955, Ice Rink Events has offered a discounted contract price of $171,385, saving the city $8,570. This includes a 50% non-refundable retainer due upon contract execution, with 25% due Sept. 1 and the remaining 25% due Dec. 20.
Emily Nelson, assistant director of Parks & Community Services, presented to council that city staff has seen rising attendance at Western Wonderland year after year, drawing visitors from across Central Texas, not just those who reside in Dripping Springs.
“There were over 22,000 visitor trips. We saw almost a 30% growth over the previous season in our stats,” she said.
Along with providing a family-focused holiday experience, Western Wonderland brings increased visitation to DSRP and support for the local economic activity, Nelson explained, as travellers will stop at restaurants, gas stations, etc.
There has been significant financial improvement over the past three seasons, according to Nelson’s presentation:
• 2023: Revenue at $153,058.48, expenses at $297,594.47 and cost recovery at 51.4%
• 2024: Revenue at $157,201.74, expenses $256,213.82 and cost recovery at 61.4%
• 2025: Revenue at $147,442.36, expenses at $206,093.43 and cost recovery at 71.5%
“It definitely was unique on those revenues for 2025. Our families really figured out that punch pass and we felt it. A punch pass is where a family can buy a ticket and it gets 10 skates and it was $100,” Nelson said. “I was really happy that those families found that affordable way to have those activities, but we felt it in the revenue side because they figured out how to not pay the $15 a ticket and to do the punch pass, so [a] double-edged sword there. But we were able to really hone down our expenses significantly.”
Nelson also considered what it would look like if there was a slight price increase to skate, but it still keeps Dripping Springs “in the pocket” of other rinks in the area, as Bee Cave sits at $20 per skate and Marble Falls is at $18. Basing it off the 2025 numbers, if there is the same attendance and a single ticket was $15, she proposed jumping that to $16. Then, on the punch pass, it would be 10 skates for $120, instead of $100, and group parties would be $12 a head versus $10.
“The total increase by doing that, those slight adjustments bring us just a little over $11,000 and then, when you add that plus the rink discount, that brings us to a total recovery of 81.2% next year if we had exact same attendance,” she noted. “The one caveat I would say is, if we've got amazing sponsorships, I would love to hold the prices where they're at, but if we saw that those sponsorships just weren't responding and we weren't getting sponsor dollars, then we know that we could do a slight increase to see another improvement on the total recovery.”
The assistant director is looking into contacting an outside individual for more sponsorship opportunities, as it can be a hard call for the small pool of local businesses, who are faced with the challenge of choosing between competing events, sports, etc.
“Across the board, for a lot of our city events, I think we felt that sponsor dollar lessen no matter how many requests [went] out. So, this person, and I'd have to call and see if she's taking on new cities or not, but she brings in a fresh pool of people that she usually feeds into sponsorships in the [Dallas-Fort Worth] area, so it would be larger companies; it would be outside of Dripping Springs,” Nelson explained. “She does local, too, like she will approach and try to drum up business within here, too, but she does have a different pool of people that she draws from.”
Council member Sherrie Parks agreed that she wants to give local businesses the first opportunity, but knows that there are many competing interests for sponsorship dollars, so looking for an outside perspective is a good idea. She added that it can take five years to solidify an event to where it breaks even and Western Wonderland is still within that window.
“It's been successful in the other markets that she has taken over and I've watched it, so I would be excited to see with her looking in this direction what she could create,” Nelson said, adding that this contact can look at sponsorships for a variety of different city events, not just Western Wonderland.
Council member Geoffrey Tahuahua stated that while he has questioned how much money the city was and is going to lose overall, he commended city staff for their ability in being able to cut down expenses.
He, along with council member Travis Crow, suggested looking at different price points, as well.
“I wouldn't mind seeing $1 increments … I know it's more work for you, but $17, if it still saves the public a dollar. A dollar is a dollar right now, but if it's not too much work, maybe look at $17 or $18 and see what the difference is,” Crow said.
Council did not take a vote on the proposed agreement, but it will be brought back again at a future meeting.
