By Mary Whitfill, News Correspondent

Located in the heart of the city, the Boston Common Frog Pond has opened its gates to another season of ice skaters and holiday season lovers this winter. From lacing up and racing around the rink to enjoying hot chocolate from The Frog Pond Café, the Boston Common Frog Pond provides a plethora of holiday festivities.

Last year’s unseasonably warm weather posed a serious problem to maintaining the pond. Closed twice before Christmas, the temperatures made keeping the pond frozen impossible and the outdoor venue was at the mercy of the weather.

So far this year, Boston has again experienced warmer-than-average temperatures, which raises concerns that the pond could face similar issues again.

“So far it seems like we have been able to service all of our machines and we’ve been able to maintain the pond really well,” Frog Pond General Manager John Schaub said. “It’s hard to predict what will happen, but right now it looks like everything is doing fine. Temperatures in the low 40s are ideal, but we can manage in weather all the way up to 50 degrees.”

The Frog Pond is an idyllic holiday destination – hundreds of people gather in the Boston Common for skating each weekend. People have been gathering at the Boston Common since the 1600s to come together as a community at the oldest public park in the country.

“[Skating at] the Frog Pond is the perfect way to bring a family atmosphere into the city,” freshman political science major Ben Strawbridge said. “It’s a fun place to go to get into the holidays and hang out with people from the city.”

Each season, the Pond teams up with The Skating Club of Boston to celebrate the New Year with spins, jumps, lifts and fancy footwork from a community of talented skaters. This year, the First Night Skating Spectacular will take place Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. with no cover charge.

Regular admission to the pond is $5, with adult skate rentals available for $9 and locker rentals for $2.

Catering to Boston’s college students specifically, the Frog Pond is continuing its College Nights for the second year in a row. Each Tuesday night, college students are welcomed to the pond with half-price admissions.

“Last year was the first time we did [college nights] and they were really successful,” Schaub said. “We usually have a local radio station, sometimes a college station, spinning music and we see anywhere from 300 to 400 college students. It’s turned what could be a slow night for going out into something that can be fun.”