You can skate for FREE below the Gardiner Expressway again this winter (PHOTOS)

Get your skates ready Toronto, as the countdown to the re-opening of The Bentway Skate Trail is officially on.

The opening date is set for December 20 and for the second year, Torontonians can enjoy free public skating beneath the Gardiner Expressway.

If you didn’t lace up and hit the trail last winter, The Bentway Skate Trail is a 220-metre long figure-eight loop located below the city’s busy expressway, giving Torontonians the opportunity to explore the once vacant and forgotten space from a whole new perspective.

• See also:
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  • Cavalcade of Lights returning to Nathan Phillips Square next month (PHOTOS)
  • Casa Loma is transforming into a winter wonderland next month (PHOTOS)

Throughout the holidays and the 2020 season, The Bentway will host a number of activities that everyone can enjoy, including a winter village, free skate days, the popular Polar Bear Skate, and more.

Over the holidays from December 20 through January 5, The Bentway will open up its skate trail seven days a week from 12 pm to 9 pm.

The Bentway Skate Trail/Andrew Williamson

An on-site winter village will offer hot chocolate and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for skaters and spectators while warming stations will help visitors get toasty before getting back on the ice.

The Bentway Skate Trail/Andrew Williamson

And don’t sweat it if you can’t skate. The Bentway will once again offer recurring free skate lessons for kids and adults. Or, if you don’t actually own a pair of skates, on-site rentals will also be available daily.

But the fun continues even after the holidays come to an end. Winter programming will run through February 17, and skate trail hours will shift to 5 pm to 9 pm on weekdays and 12 pm to 9 pm on weekends.

The Bentway Skate Trail/Andrew Williamson

This year, The Bentway will host its second annual Polar Bear Skate on December 29, inviting adventurous Torontonians to skate the trail in their bathing suits for a refreshing – and unconventional — winter event.

All pre-registrants will receive a free hot chocolate, and of course, major bragging rights.

The Bentway Skate Trail

Address: 250 Fort York Blvd.