Watertown’s Prairie Lakes Ice Arena Enters Peak Season With Hockey, Skating, and Nearly 40-Hour Weekends

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Prairie Lakes Ice Arena entrance under a clear blue sky in Watertown, South Dakota, with 3015 sign and city logos.

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Prairie Lakes Ice Arena (PLIA) has officially entered its October-through-March peak “in-season" schedule, with peak weekends packing nearly 40 hours of continuous ice activity across Watertown Shamrocks junior hockey games, youth hockey tournaments, figure skating events and community open skating, according to the October 2026 PLIA Board Report presented to the Watertown Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

According to the report, Monday-through-Thursday practice schedules for the Watertown Hockey Association (WHA) and the Watertown Figure Skating Club (WFSC) remain consistent throughout the season, except during Christmas break. Friday-through-Sunday ice time rotates around scheduled youth sessions, Open Skate, Adult Hockey and Curling League, alongside a changing weekend slate of Shamrocks home games, WHA league games and tournaments, WFSC events and private rentals.

“Some weekends hit the jackpot with a Shamrocks doubleheader, a hockey tournament, and the normally scheduled events,” the report stated. “In these cases, we have almost 40 hours of straight activities with a short break overnight.”

2026–2027 Fall and Winter Event Slate

Following the arena’s hosting of the NHG World Cup and the Original Six Tournament in August and September, the 2026–2027 fall and winter calendar features major state and national qualifying competitions alongside local league play:

· Watertown Shamrocks: 31 home games scheduled throughout the season.

· Watertown Hockey Association (WHA) League Play & Tournaments: More than 70 WHA league games, two WHA preseason tournaments in November, and six WHA tournaments between December and March.

· Curling League: The current session runs Oct. 25 through Dec. 13, 2026, with staff planning an additional winter session.

· Thanksgiving Weekend Hockey Events (Nov. 27–29): Kampeska Kraken tryouts for summer 2027 teams will take place Friday, Nov. 27, coinciding with WHA Homecoming Weekend from Nov. 27 through Nov. 29.

· Watertown Figure Skating Club (WFSC) December Events: WFSC will host a U.S. Figure Skating Test Session on Thursday, Dec. 10, followed by the Watertown Classic Figure Skating Competition from Dec. 11 through Dec. 13. The Watertown Classic is now officially part of the National Showcase Qualifying Series.

· State & Spring Tournaments: The arena will host multiple South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association (SDAHA) events, the Boys Bantam State Tournament in late February 2027, the Watertown Warm-Up Adult Tournament on April 3–4, 2027, and the WFSC Spring Show in May 2027.

Public Skating, Adult Hockey and Community Programs

Through April 2027, the Prairie Lakes Ice Arena is offering regular weekly public skating and hockey sessions as well as collaborative community programs:

· Open Skate: Held Wednesday and Sunday evenings through April, plus a midday Weekday Skate every Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.

· Adult Open Hockey (Through April): Adult Open Hockey runs Sunday evenings from 8:30 to 10 p.m., while 50+ Open Hockey takes place Wednesday evenings from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

· Lake Area Technical College (LATC) & Homeschool Programs: LATC holds a bi-weekly Hockey Club and a monthly Open Skate Night, while a Homeschool Skate is held monthly.

· Special Youth Events & Rentals: Upcoming introductory events include Try Laker Hockey, Wee Wobblers, and Try Hockey Girls Night, alongside ongoing facility rentals for birthday parties, schools, nonprofits, South Dakota Amateur Hockey, and the Lake Norden Hockey Group.