The Atlanta Figure Skating Club takes the ice on City Green at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 13. Just across Mount Vernon Highway, at Sandy Springs Circle, Hillcrest is under construction, a mixed-use project of nearly 400 homes. New South Construction said it would bring a second crane onto the site in November.
The rink season runs November 13 through January 18. Each week of it gives you a clear look at how downtown Sandy Springs works now and how it is about to change. Skating, The Nutcracker and the Sparkle parade all happen on and around City Green. The next round of restaurants, cafés and homes is going up a short walk south.
Opening Night Is Also Fright Night
The 2026-27 Skate City Springs season opens Friday, November 13, with the Atlanta Figure Skating Club exhibition. That same night is the season's first themed night. It's called Fright Night, so you can wear your Halloween costume one more time and skate to music picked for thrills and chills.
After that, the season settles into a weekly routine:
| When | What's on the ice |
|---|---|
| Every night at 6 p.m. | Glow Night |
| Fridays from 6 p.m. | Disco Slide Nights with a DJ, couples' skates, fast laps and maybe a limbo |
| Saturdays, 8 to 10 p.m. | Themed nights such as K-Pop Vibe, Pajama Party and Intergalactic Skate Party, with free hot cocoa if you dress for the theme |
This year's biggest change is the pricing. For the first time, Skate City Springs has tiered prices. Monday through Thursday it's $15 for adults and $12 for kids ages 2 to 9. Friday through Sunday it's $18 for adults and $15 for kids. A family of two adults and two young kids pays $54 on a Tuesday and $66 on a Saturday. The $12 difference is basically a round of cocoa and pastries across the street. Every ticket includes skate rental and an hour on the ice.
The city recommends reserving online because capacity is limited. Tickets for timed sessions are sold through FareHarbor, the city's ticketing partner. Walk-ups are welcome, but the city suggests calling (404) 890-6690 first to check availability. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to pick up your skates. Free Skate Helpers are on the ice for anyone still finding their balance.
Group packages are new this year too. Options include a Classic Pizza Package and an All-American Grill package with unlimited hot cocoa, for birthdays, group outings and private corporate parties. Groups book through the Skate City Springs page, and corporate outings book through [email protected].
Where to Warm Up Has Already Moved Past the Green
The City Springs restaurant guide lists these spots as on-site, a few minutes from the rink: Café Vendôme, CityBar & Café, Flower Child, Mister01, Nam Kitchen ATL, Playa Bowls, Taste Wine Bar and Market, and The Select. Café Vendôme is at 6400 Blue Stone Road, Suite 110.
The best example of downtown growing is a little farther out, at the Williams-Payne House. The historic home used to hold the Heritage Sandy Springs museum and had sat empty since early in the COVID era. In October 2025, Rough Draft Atlanta reported that the city had approved a lease that let Summit Coffee move in. City Springs lists the café as open daily in the restored house, serving specialty coffee, matcha and fresh pastries with indoor and outdoor seating. It plans to add cocktails, wine and beer later.
Other options within walking distance include Breadwinner Café & Bakery and Brooklyn Cafe, both at 220 Sandy Springs Circle. On Roswell Road, Cafe Comma and C&S Seafood and Oyster Bar are at 6125 Roswell Road. If the kids still want ice cream after an hour on the ice, Bruster's is at 226 Johnson Ferry Road.
The city's next downtown phase is planned right up against the Williams-Payne House and Heritage Green.
The Calendar Builds Toward One Sunday Night
From mid-November to early December, the events cluster closer together:
- Saturday, November 28, 8 to 10 p.m.: Masquerade Ball at Skate City Springs. Masks are encouraged, and capes are optional.
- November 27 through December 6: Roswell Dance Theatre presents The Nutcracker at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.
- Wednesday, December 2: Snow Day Movie Matinee at Heritage Sandy Springs, an afternoon pajama party with a screening of Frozen.
- Saturday, December 5, 8 to 10 p.m.: K-Pop Vibe night on the ice.
- Sunday, December 6: Sparkle Sandy Springs on City Green.
The last weekend packs a lot in. The Nutcracker's final performances, a themed skate night and Sparkle all happen within about 48 hours, in the same few blocks.
Sparkle's Road Closures Trace the Edges of the Next Downtown
Sparkle starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, and the nighttime parade starts at 6 p.m. The evening includes the lighting of both the Christmas tree and the Menorah.
The city's road-closure page is worth reading before you go. Closures begin at 3 p.m. on:
- Blue Stone Road from Galambos Way to Hilderbrand Drive
- Galambos Way from the parking deck's east entrance to its west entrance, with the full street closed during the parade
- Mount Vernon Highway from Hammond Drive to Galambos Way
- Lake Forest Drive from Mount Vernon Highway to Hammond Drive
- Sandy Springs Circle from Galambos Way to Hilderbrand Drive
All roads reopen by 9 p.m. During the parade, the City Springs garage's east entrance closes from 5:45 to 7 p.m. and its west entrance from 6:15 to 7 p.m. The city's by-car guide lists the garage entrances at 1 Galambos Way and 6300 Blue Stone Road, and rideshare drop-off is at 215 Johnson Ferry Road. Street parking along the parade route, Galambos Way and Blue Stone Road starts closing Thursday, December 3. If you usually park on the street for a weeknight skate, plan on the garage that week.
Look at the streets on that list. Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs Circle and Blue Stone Road frame the land where the next two phases of downtown are planned.
South of Mount Vernon, Hillcrest Has Its First Two Tenants
Hillcrest covers about 8 acres south of Mount Vernon Highway at Sandy Springs Circle. What Now Atlanta lists its address as 6150 Sandy Springs Circle. Developer Third & Urban and multifamily partner Trammell Crow Company are building 362 apartments, 30 for-rent townhomes and 19,000 square feet of retail. The site used to hold Sandy Springs United Methodist Church's Hitson Center, a grass field and a parking lot.
Rough Draft Atlanta reported that by late October, several townhomes, some retail spaces, the parking deck and some apartments had been built. The five-story building along Mount Vernon Highway was starting to rise. The site is steep, so the project steps down the hill from Mount Vernon Highway along Sandy Springs Circle. Hillcrest is projected to open in summer 2027.
The first two retail tenants were announced October 27:
- Salted Melon is a Charlotte-based "everyday gourmet" café serving salads, bowls, sandwiches, smoothies, pastries, and specialty coffee and tea. Hillcrest will be its second metro Atlanta location after Buckhead, which opened in February, and its sixth overall.
- Chastain Creamery is an ice cream shop on West Wieuca Road in Buckhead that opened at the start of 2026. It offers allergy-friendly options, including items free of gluten, dairy, nuts or added sugar.
Hank Farmer, a partner at Third & Urban, described the plan in the Rough Draft Atlanta report:
"Residents will have options steps away from their front door, and visitors will have a reason to stay awhile. Salted Melon and Chastain Creamery already have local followings and will fit right in with the community we are creating here."
Salted Melon founder Thomas Coker told the same outlet that the company chose Hillcrest for its location, its patio-heavy retail spaces and the city's vision for a pedestrian-friendly downtown. Those are the same qualities that make an evening at the rink work.
City Springs 2.0 Would Fill In Around Heritage Green
On October 20, the Sandy Springs City Council voted unanimously to move forward with land sale negotiations for 5.5 acres of city-owned property just south of Mount Vernon Highway. The site is planned for City Springs 2.0. The city chose Trammell Crow Company's residential subsidiary, High Street Residential, as master developer, with Third & Urban, DSM Real Estate Partners and Hedgewood Homes on the team.
According to Rough Draft Atlanta's coverage of the vote, the plan includes:
- Apartments with ground-floor retail and restaurants
- A boutique hotel
- A 28-home single-family subdivision next to Heritage Green and the Williams-Payne House, where Summit Coffee now operates
- A possible permanent closure of Bluestone Road between Mount Vernon Highway and Hilderbrand Drive. That is part of the same stretch that closes for the Sparkle parade each year.
City staff described this timeline:
| Milestone | Projected timing |
|---|---|
| Rezoning and sale negotiations | This winter |
| Developers close on the property, pending rezoning | Summer 2027 |
| Site work could begin | As early as fall 2027 |
| First parcels delivered | Third to fourth quarter of 2029 |
| Full project complete | 2030 |
Mayor Rusty Paul said the public will have the next few months to give feedback. The city's economic development director, Chris Burnett, said more design and contract details will come as the project moves forward. This is the second master developer the city has picked since adopting its 2022 master plan. The earlier partnership, with Regent Partners and Morris & Fellows, ended in 2024.
If the schedule holds, Hillcrest's shops open for summer 2027, and the rink's 2027-28 season would arrive around the time site work could begin across Blue Stone Road. Skate City Springs closes for the year on January 18.
If you live near City Springs and want to know how the Hillcrest and City Springs 2.0 timelines could affect your plans over the next few years, Purpose Driven Real Estate Group can walk you through what's being built and when. Schedule Your Free Consultation.
