The Town of Huntington's rink at 575 Vanderbilt Parkway has two NHL-size sheets of ice and stays open all year. Public skating still runs on a short, fixed list of time slots. For the 2026–27 season, public sessions run from September 21 through May 2, 2027. Kids who want to skate after school get two afternoons a week, Thursday and Friday from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m.
That schedule follows from how the building grew. Skating at Clark Gillies Arena this winter depends on two things: knowing when the public windows open, and whether you carry a Town Recreation ID.
A Rink That Grew Around Hockey
The rink first opened in 1974 as an outdoor facility. The Town of Huntington's own history says it was the first publicly operated ice rink in Suffolk County. It was enclosed in 1986 and has been an all-season building since then.
Those two years also mark the start and end of Clark Gillies' career with the New York Islanders, 1974 to 1986. He captained the team from 1977 to 1979 and helped win four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983.
The growth in between came from youth hockey. The Town's account of the 2010 expansion says skating and "especially youth hockey" grew in popularity, and that growth created the demand for a second sheet of ice. The $16 million addition opened September 16, 2010. It added 43,232 square feet, which more than doubled the building. It also brought four new locker rooms, two party rooms, a new pro shop and skate rental booth, a weight training room, and raised bleachers for 447 spectators. Islanders legend Bob Nystrom spoke at the opening about why rinks like this matter for youth hockey, and Olympic figure skater Emily Hughes skated a short program.
The name came later. The Huntington Town Board voted unanimously on March 15, 2022, to rename the rink for Gillies, on a resolution introduced by Councilmembers Joan Cergol and Salvatore Ferro. The dedication followed on May 14, 2022, and the Town honored him as a Greenlawn resident and a member of the Huntington community. Huntington Now reported that Pamela Gillies unveiled the sign and joined Islanders players for a ceremonial puck drop. NHL.com's coverage adds that Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky attended along with current players and alumni, and that the ceremony unveiled the center-ice logo.
Today the Town describes the arena as a year-round facility offering public sessions, figure skating, group and private lessons, and adult and youth hockey programs. Everything on that list draws from the same two sheets of ice. Public skating gets the slots that remain.
The Weekly Public Windows, September 21 Through May 2
The Town's public session schedule sets the regular season like this:
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10 a.m. – noon | none | none |
| Tuesday | 10 a.m. – noon | none | none |
| Wednesday | 10 a.m. – noon | none | none |
| Thursday | 10 a.m. – noon | 3:45 – 5:15 p.m. | none |
| Friday | 10 a.m. – noon | 3:45 – 5:15 p.m. | DJ Nite, 8:15 – 10:15 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | 1 – 2:30 p.m. | none |
| Sunday | 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | 1 – 2:30 p.m. | none |
The weekday morning sessions run two hours each. Every afternoon and weekend session runs 90 minutes. On weekends the public gets four 90-minute blocks, all between 11:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. For a student, that means two after-school windows a week, the Friday night DJ session, and the weekend midday blocks.
Tickets for DJ Nite are sold online through the Town's WebTrac system. The schedule page prints a date range for the Friday DJ sessions that doesn't line up with the 2026–27 season, so call the rink at 631-462-5883 to confirm the first DJ Nite before planning around it.
Holiday Weeks Open the Afternoons
The schedule only adds public ice during the two school breaks. These are the dates to put on the calendar now.
- Thursday, December 24: 10 a.m. – noon and 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
- Friday, December 25: rink closed.
- Saturday, December 26 through Monday, December 28: 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. and 1 – 2:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 29 through Thursday, December 31: 10 a.m. – noon, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., and 3 – 5 p.m.
- Friday, January 1, 2027: 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., 3 – 5 p.m., and DJ Nite from 8:15 to 10:15 p.m.
- Monday, February 15 through Friday, February 19, 2027: 10 a.m. – noon, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., and 3 – 5 p.m. daily, with DJ Nite on Friday the 19th.
From December 29 through 31 and on Presidents' Week weekdays, the daytime schedule runs three two-hour sessions, six hours of public ice, and Friday, February 19 adds DJ Nite for eight. A regular Tuesday offers two hours. If you're picking one week for the family's skating, those holiday dates offer the most ice.
What the Recreation ID Changes
Admission depends on whether the skater has a Town Recreation ID.
| Skater | With Rec ID | Without Rec ID | Difference per session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child | $7 | $10 | $3 |
| Adult | $9 | $15 | $6 |
| Senior | $5 | $10 | $5 |
For two adults and two children, one session costs $32 with Rec IDs and $50 without, before skate rentals. Rentals cost $5 a pair no matter which rate you pay, and lockers are 50 cents. Over a winter of Saturday sessions, that $18 gap adds up quickly.
Only Town residents can get the card. The Town's Recreation ID page says applicants bring photo ID and proof of residency to the Dix Hills rink or to Town Hall. The card is easiest to get before the first visit, since the rink is one of the two places that issue it.
Bring a card or a phone. As of December 1, 2025, every transaction at Dix Hills Park, including the arena and the Dix Hills Pool, is cashless. The rink takes MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, checks and Apple Pay.
The Programs That Fill the Rest of the Ice
The fixed public windows make more sense once you see what else is booked on the ice.
Group lessons start in early November. The Town runs USFSA group lessons as six-week courses with one half-hour class a week, for ages 4 through adult. The fall courses on WebTrac run November 5 to December 17, 2026, on Thursdays, November 7 to December 19 on Saturdays, and November 8 to December 20 on Sundays. The two Town listings disagree on the Thursday class time, 4:45 or 5:15 p.m., and on the price for cardholders, $80 or $100. Call the rink to confirm before registering. Either way, the Thursday class starts right around the end of the 3:45 public session. That makes a skate-then-lesson afternoon possible for a beginner.
Freestyle ice is set aside for figure skaters. A separate Town freestyle schedule covering September 1 to May 31, 2027, gives intermediate and above skaters time to practice programs and moves, including with their instructors.
Youth hockey is in season. The Dix Hills Hawks list home games at the rink for their 10U A1 T3-1 team on November 7, November 15, November 22 and December 5, 2026, with another game on the rink schedule for January 16, 2027. On those weekends, expect a busier lobby and parking lot around the public sessions. The Hawks' own directions describe the route in: the drive through Dix Hills Park passes the golf course before it reaches the rink.
The building's own services fill in the rest. The pro shop stocks everything from laces to skating dresses and sharpens skates while you wait. There are activity rooms, an on-site concession stand and vending machines. D&J Concessions books birthday parties during public sessions, so a party can use the same ice the public schedule already provides.
One date is gone from this season's list. From December 4 to 7, 2025, the arena hosted games in the 15th annual NHL/USA Hockey Sled Hockey Classic. USA Hockey lists the 2026 Sled Classic for November 5 through 8 in Las Vegas.
Lessons begin the week of November 5, Hawks home games start November 7, and holiday-week ice opens December 24. To skate at the resident rate, get the Recreation ID at the rink on your first visit.
The rink calendar is one of the details DH Real Estate tracks in Dix Hills. If you're curious how a home near Dix Hills Park compares with today's market, start with our free valuation and #MAKETHATMOVE on your own schedule. Unlock Your Free Home Valuation.
