SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: Ken Striplin | Holiday Season at The Cube

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside

Weather

Calendar

Today in
S.C.V. History

December 22

1905 - County buys property to build Newhall Jail (now next to city's Old Town Newhall Library) [story]

Ken Striplin | Holiday Season at The Cube

By Ken Striplin | Monday, Dec 4, 2023

Click Here to Get Our 'SCV This Morning' Newsletter

Tweet This

Facebook

Digg This

Bookmark

Stumble

RSS

Holidays Are Better at The Cube!

“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” – Maya Angelou

One of my favorite new holiday traditions is taking my family to a day out on the ice at The Cube – Ice and Entertainment Center, Powered by FivePoint Valencia, especially during the holiday season.

Just two nights ago, the community came together to officially ring in the holiday season at The Cube with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. Bringing hundreds of families and friends together for a festive evening, the City Council partnered with the Los Angeles Kings to flip the switch to illuminate thousands of lights on the tree, located on The Pond. Residents enjoyed the evening by joining our very own Sammy Clarita and L.A. Kings Mascot Bailey on the ice for skate sessions around the tree and on the Olympic Rink.

Another event that is sure to get you in the holiday and sports spirit, is the annual Santa Clarita Kings Day. Tonight, dozens of residents will cheer on the Los Angeles Kings as they take on the Colorado Avalanche at the Crypto.com Arena. Starting at 5 p.m., community members will get the opportunity to together and enjoy a night out in Los Angeles. This unique and fun annual event is just another way we support our local ice athletes, as well as our beloved sports teams here in Southern California.

If you’d rather stay in town, I hope you bought tickets for our annual Holiday Skate Show at The Cube! Taking place next Saturday, Dec. 9, over 100 local ice-skaters will commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Nightmare Before Christmas with a special on-ice rendition of the Disney classic. Featuring music, props, makeup and more, skaters have been practicing for over six months to bring residents a fun, family-friendly performance. Attendees can immerse themselves into the production with either on-ice, bleacher or balcony seating options. While you’re there, grab your favorite food and drinks from The Grille and Top Shelf to keep you warm before, during or after the show!

I encourage our community to come to The Cube and enjoy all of the fun events and opportunities available this holiday season. All month, the decorated tree will be available for visitors to skate around during public skate sessions, adding the perfect backdrop to any festive photo. As we enter the winter season, remember that The Top Shelf is the place to be for all gameday attractions. Join us on the second floor as you enjoy your favorite football and hockey games with a local beer or wine, or one of the ice-inspired cocktails. Whether you are with your fantasy football league or simply enjoying a night out on the town, The Top Shelf is a great option to shop and eat locally.

To learn more about any of the events at The Cube or for hours of operations, please visit TheCubeSantaClarita.comor call (661) 257-2823.

Ken Striplin is the city manager for the city of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.

Comment On This Story

COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Click here to cancel reply.

Opinion Section Policy

All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not. Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter, the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.

Kathryn Barger | Keeping Up With Kathryn

Friday, Dec 19, 2025

There's no better way to celebrate the season than with toys, treats, and rollercoasters. My annual Foster Youth Holiday Party is one of the most special traditions we do each year

Select Keeping Up with Kathryn Barger | Home For the Holidays

Wednesday, Dec 10, 2025

I'm overjoyed to share that as of this week, several Altadena residents have moved back into their newly-rebuilt homes in time for the holidays.

Brittany Barlrog | Wrapping up 2025 for JCI

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025

As we wrap up this incredible year with JCI Santa Clarita, my heart is truly overflowing with gratitude. This chapter has shown up in such wonderful ways, and I’m so proud of everything we’ve created together.

Ken Striplin | Happy Birthday, Santa Clarita

Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025

It’s hard to believe that our city will turn 38-years-old as of Monday, Dec. 15.

Bill Miranda | Honored to Serve

Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025

As we wrap up another year, I find myself reflecting on how extraordinary and eventful 2025 has been for our city.

Kathryn Barger | Keeping Up with Kathryn

Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025

Today, my team and I set out to four different sites across the Fifth District for our 8th Annual Day of Giving.

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com


Jan. 2: Explore Global Cuisine with ‘Spice Travels ‘ at Newhall Library Old Town Newhall Public Library will host "Spice Travels," Friday, Jan. 2, 9:15-9:30 a.m. at 24500 Main St., Santa Clarita, CA 91321.	Mandatory Changes Are Coming to Employment Posters	Dec. 24-25: CHP Launches Holiday Enforcement Period The California Highway Patrol encourages the public to “brake” the habit of speeding this holiday season. The CHP will launch a Holiday Enforcement Period starting at 6:01 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 25.	Dec. 27: Volunteers Needed for SCV Trail Users Workday Volunteers are needed to help clear brush and restore the tread from the existing lower Gates and Twister trails 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 27.	Jan. 16: InfluenceHER- Redefining Happiness, A Candid Conversation for the Modern Woman Join InfluenceHER's "Redefining Happiness, a Candid Conversation for the Modern Woman," 4-6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 16 at the Venue Valencia.	Santa Clarita Public Library Holiday Hours The Santa Clarita Public Library system has announced that all library branches will close at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 24, and remain closed on Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas.
SCV Water Announces 2026/27 ACWA Edward G. ‘Jerry’ Gladbach Scholarship Students pursuing an undergraduate degree in water resource-related fields are invited to apply for the 2026/27 ACWA Edward G. “Jerry” Gladbach Scholarship, offered by the Association of California Water Agencies in partnership with SCV Water. Applications are now being accepted through March 1, 2026.	Lady Mustangs Break Scoring Records in Win Chloe Auble scored a career-high 40 points and Allie Miller came a rebound away from her first career triple-double as The Master's University Women's Basketball team defeated the Bethesda Lion Angels 125-24 in the MacArthur Center.	Federal Court Orders Vallarta to Comply with EEOC Subpoenas Vallarta Food Enterprises, headquartered in Santa Clarita, has been ordered by a federal court to comply with subpoenas relating to charges of employment discrimination.	Dec. 26-Jan. 10: Recycle Trees, Wreaths at City Drop-Off Locations Burrtec Waste Industries has partnered with the city of Santa Clarita to establish three convenient locations for residents to recycle real holiday trees this season.	NORAD Santa Tracker Celebrates 70th Anniversary The North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready to track Santa on Wednesday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, and is celebrating the program’s 70th anniversary.	Today in SCV History (Dec. 22) 1905 - County buys property to build Newhall Jail (now next to city's Old Town Newhall Library) [story]
Dec. 22-24: Overnight Lane Reductions, I-405, Sepulveda Pass	Dec. 22: Burn Ban Day for SCV, Rains Start Dec. 23 The weather might not be "frightful" yet, but Santa Clarita Valley residents may experience a soggy and cold Christmas Day this year. Rain is expected in the SCV beginning Tuesday, Dec. 23 in the evening and continuing into Friday, Dec. 26	Today in SCV History (Dec. 21) 1910 - Newhall (Auto) Tunnel opens, bypassing Beale's Cut [story]	Today in SCV History (Dec. 20) 1892 - Benjamin Harrison establishes 555,520-acre San Gabriel Timberland Reserve (Angeles National Forest). First forest reserve in California, second in U.S. [story]	Watson Elected SUSD Board of Trustees President The Saugus Union School District Governing Board of Trustees elected Matthew Watson as 2026 board president at the Tuesday, Dec. 16 organizational meeting.	Phillips Examines Evolving Relationship with Technology in Exhibit Los Angeles–based painter Jasimen Phillips is a featured artist in the city of Santa Clarita’s “Pop Culture” exhibition, currently on view at the Newhall Community Center through March 25, 2026.
Gibbon Center Needs Donations to Meet $15K Match The Gibbon Conservation Center in Saugus is requesting donations, including memberships and gibbon adoption sponsorships to reach a matching goal of $15,000.	COC Board Fails to Elect New President in Deadlocked Vote The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees failed to complete its annual organizational vote to elect a new board president during its meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 17.	Kathryn Barger \| Keeping Up With Kathryn There's no better way to celebrate the season than with toys, treats, and rollercoasters. My annual Foster Youth Holiday Party is one of the most special traditions we do each year	Dec. 20: No Burn Day Alert Continues for SCV, South Coast Air Basin	CTG ‘A Christmas Story’ Adds Shows, Dec. 21-22, Due to Demand The Canyon Theatre Guild’s production of "A Christmas Story," adds shows due to high ticket demand. Shows have been added on Sunday, Dec. 21 and Monday, Dec. 22.	City Presents ‘Pop Culture’ Art Exhibit at the Newhall Community Center The city of Santa Clarita will present its latest art exhibition, “Pop Culture,” on view at the Newhall Community Center now through March 25, 2026.