"In lieu of the ice-skating rink this year, we focused our efforts on the return of our beloved tree lighting ceremony at The Promenade at Westlake," a Caruso marketing director told the Thousand Oaks Acorn in November 2022. With that statement, one of Thousand Oaks' longest-running holiday traditions disappeared from the space next to City Hall.
Now it's coming back. The Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks opens November 6, 2026, and runs through January 10, 2027, according to Conejo Valley Guide. It returns after six winters away. Caruso isn't required to bring it back. A land deal with the city released the company from that obligation in 2021, and that deal still hasn't closed.
A Rink That Started as Part of a City Contract
The rink was never just a seasonal promotion. It was one of the public benefits the city negotiated when The Lakes was first approved. Here's how it went:
- 2004. The city signs its original agreement with Rick Caruso to develop The Lakes on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, next to City Hall. The skating rink is part of that deal, the Acorn reported.
- 2005. The rink opens on top of one of the ponds that give the center its name.
- Through 2019-2020. It runs every year from mid-November into January, per Conejo Valley Guide.
- 2021. The city approves a new agreement that lets Caruso buy the land and build apartments behind the shopping center.
- 2022. With that agreement in place, Caruso no longer has to host the rink, and it doesn't return.
The obligation ended when the 2021 agreement was signed. The purchase it allowed is still pending.
The Sale That Still Hasn't Closed
Under the 2021 agreement, Caruso could buy the site for $2 million by December 9, 2024. After building apartments on the mall's back parking lot, the company would pay the city $13 million in community benefit fees over the next four decades, the Ventura County Star reported in October 2025.
The December 2024 date came and went, and the deadlines kept moving. The City Council granted a first extension in July 2024. It approved two more one-year options in June 2025. Then on October 21, 2025, it voted 4-1 for a fourth extension, with Mayor David Newman opposed. That vote pushed the escrow deadline to June 30, 2028. Caruso agreed to pay the city another $100,000, set aside for the city's homeless shelter.
The city's environmental review describes the planned building as seven levels with 165 units. It's filed as The Lakes, LLC, MND 2021-70424. According to the Star, Chris Robertson, Caruso's vice president of planning and development, said high interest rates and inflation had made the project unworkable for now, and that the company remains "strongly committed to this community." Council member Bob Engler described the mood on the dais this way:
"There's growing concern that this may be one of those projects that never gets built and that we're just spinning our wheels, so I really want to reinforce to the developer that this is something that the city is looking forward to with anticipation."
He made that comment at the October 7, 2025 public hearing, as quoted by the Ventura County Star. The same Star story points out something many residents may not know. Caruso has leased the property from the city since The Lakes opened in 2004. The lease only requires rent once the mall earns at least a 12% return on its initial investment. That hasn't happened yet, so the city has never collected income from the site.
So This Winter's Rink Is a Choice
Put those pieces together and this season looks different from the old ones. From 2005 through 2019, the rink came back because a contract required it. This November it comes back on Caruso's own terms. The land is still city-owned, no apartments have been built, and the escrow deadline is more than a year and a half away.
It also isn't the only sign of new activity at the center. The Lakes' official directory lists three businesses as coming soon:
- Savta, a restaurant inspired by its founder's grandmother
- Sora Handroll Bar
- [solidcore], the fitness studio
Conejo Valley Guide reports that Savta is planned next to Sora and that [solidcore] will go next to California Pizza Kitchen. It also expects PopUp Bagels. None of the four had announced an opening date in that report.
For anyone who lives nearby, the center behind the Civic Arts Plaza is getting more reasons to visit this winter: a returning rink, plus a handful of new restaurants and a studio on the way.
Booking Before November 6
Reservations are the main thing to know, because this rink runs on booked time slots rather than walk-up skating.
- Public reservations opened October 15. Book through The Lakes' website.
- Caruso Signature members got first pick. Members could book during an early-access window from October 12 to 14. Membership is free at carusosignature.com, and the company says it includes early access and rewards at other Caruso properties too.
- Check prices and session times when you book. Caruso's season announcement covered the booking windows, not ticket prices, session length, daily hours or skate rental. The reservation page on shoplakes.com is where those details will appear.
- The season runs November 6 through January 10. That covers Thanksgiving weekend, winter break and the first week of January.
If you're building a holiday calendar around the rink, the other Caruso tradition from that 2022 statement is listed again this year. The Tree Lighting at The Promenade at Westlake appears on the Conejo Valley visitor calendar for November 20. The listing describes a holiday market, live performances, children's activities, Santa, the tree lighting and fireworks, but no start time yet. That gives Thousand Oaks two Caruso holiday events two weeks apart this year. In 2022, the tree lighting was offered in place of the rink.
I grew up skating at places like this around Ventura County, and I love seeing a tradition come back to the space next to City Hall. If you have questions about how projects like The Lakes apartments move through the city, or just want to swap rink memories, Rick Pena is always glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
