There may be plans afoot for its dramatic redevelopment, but in the meantime the Lloyd Center remains the Mall That Won’t Die, hosting pop-up markets and indie retail shops and roller discos. Nowhere is its indomitable life force on clearer display than at its ground-floor ice rink on a weekend evening around the holidays, when fake snow falls from far overhead onto skaters turning a counterclockwise oval around a giant Christmas tree. There’s even a Nutcracker performance! (Catch it for free at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 16.) The year-round rink has gotten steadily smaller with mall remodels; this means the ice isn’t likely to be overrun with fancy-pants figure skaters using the middle of the rink to practice their three-turns and camel spins, and the relatively predictable movements of the skaters who are there make Lloyd beginner-friendly. Most public skate sessions are $20 plus $5 for skate rental. Discounts or waived rental fees come on some holidays, Tuesday and Thursday “Cheap Skates,” and weekend-evening “Rock N Skate,” or anytime for military with ID and people who are 50 and older.

The same portable ice rink company that once put a rink over a Vegas rooftop pool and has worked with Cirque du Soleil created this temporary attraction, a project spearheaded by Prosper Portland’s Events and Film Office to bring more people into the city center. We’re impressed by the glam bathroom trailer, heat lamps, and board-game-stacked picnic tables tucked under the Morrison Bridge next to the tented rink, where the smells of hot chocolate and rotating food trucks like Tamale Boy are a big improvement over the stench of urine we noticed walking past the site before the rink opened.

But, as is often the case at pop-up rinks, the size poses a problem. On our Christmas Eve visit it was too crowded to do a proper skating stride—wiggling, sculling, and baby stumbles are all there’s really room for. The rink is so cramped that beginners are never far from the rail, but they might have an easier time learning on smoother ice, as the surface here is pretty rough. Unlike at regular rinks, skaters here have to sign a waiver and actively decline head protection—a hint that the free helmets at the skate counter might be worth borrowing. The $20 admission fee ($12 for kids under 12) includes skate rental, and $5 off with a same-day receipt showing at least $20 spent at a central-city business (including parts of the east side—find details here.). We’d suggest a few pints at nearby Paddy’s, Treebeerd’s, or Yamhill Pub, but you’ll need your wits about you on this rink, so perhaps spend $20 at the Pickle Jar baseball fan shop or 2nd Avenue Records instead.

Mountain View was once home to two rinks, but half of its building is now a location of Mannahouse Church—anyone attending the Sunday-morning speed-skating class will encounter some extra instructions for parking and entry during church services. There used to be arcade games under the bleachers, but now only a no-nonsense vending machine remains, stocked with skate laces and hockey essentials like stick tape, pucks, wax, even rink-shaped mini whiteboards with attached dry-erase markers. Public sessions tend to be chill, with more action happening during pickup and organized hockey games. The rink has a hefty collection of beginner skate aids—resembling walkers, tiny chairs, or bright blue seals—for rent.

With a huge bowling alley and arcade next door, inflatable holiday decorations that are way too big for the entryway, and cold bottles of Kokanee at the snack bar, the Winterhawks Skating Center screams folksy fun. Expect extra crowding on weekend nights and before or after skate school classes, though the skater density on the ice itself always feels manageable. Public sessions are $25, including skate rental; kids 5 and under are free, and a group discount kicks in for five or more people in a single transaction.

Opened in 2000 (and still open while it’s for sale following bankruptcy proceedings—anybody want to buy it?), this suburban rink boasts arcade games, a chilly beer garden open during evening rec-league hockey games, and a slew of events, from holiday shows to after-midnight skate sessions (one on a recent Friday the 13th skate had a horror-themed playlist). When school lets out it can get crowded, but off-hours public sessions are rarely busy. Be warned that you might encounter competitive skaters practicing their routine in the middle of the ice (with their routine’s soundtrack playing over and over and over). Public skate is $25, whether you rent skates or bring your own, and plastic skate aids rent for $7, or $14 if you’re tall enough to need two (so you’re essentially paying minimum wage to a stack of plastic). The arena offers learn-to-skate packages, stick-time monthly passes, and other deals for frequent use.