Community Invited to Door Creek Park's Winter Celebration

posted January 28, 2026 – 8:28am

The community is invited to a ribbon cutting and winter celebration at Door Creek Park on Sunday, February 1. Festivities begin with City leaders, partners and friends joining in a brief program and ribbon cutting at 10:00am. Starting at 10:30am, park visitors can enjoy free equipment use - we anticipate skates, snowshoes and cross-country skis - depending on the open amenities, food carts, games and prizes.

Door Creek Park is located on Madison's far eastside, at 7035 Littlemore Drive. The pavilion, which opened last summer, was first identified in the park's adopted 2008 master plan. The new 4,000 square foot, year-round facility features a reservable community room, service kitchen, three restrooms, and covered outdoor space.

The building also includes a roof-mounted photovoltaic system - using solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity to offset energy consumption. The park also received new parking lot lighting and landscaped islands.

Park visitors can now enjoy an expanded range of year-round activities, including a new ice-skating rink installed by the Parks construction crew last fall. After a gradual opening period, the rink is now fully operational, with the pavilion staffed Wednesday through Sunday for skate, snowshoe, and cross-country ski rentals, as conditions allow.

Groomed cross-country ski trails have been offered here for several years, with expanded grooming beginning in 2022 when the site became permit-required. In addition, staff enhanced the snowshoeing and winter hiking experience by adding more designated trails.

Schedule

10:00am - Ribbon cutting inside the pavilion
10:30am – 12:00pm
- Free equipment use – skis, snowshoes, and ice skates – depending on open amenities
- Learn to Ski and Snowshoe Classes - free and provided by Madison Nordic Ski Club
- Ice-skating games and prizes
- Free popcorn