US Figure Skating Championships Pairs
I took a weekender with my kids to the 2015 US Figure Skating Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. It’s one of the third largest cities in North Carolina and it’s part of a region in North Carolina called the Piedmont Triad Metropolitan region. I typically stay in High Point which is part of this Triad region and there are lots of things for kids to do in Greensboro, NC. Single Parent Travel is not easy and so when I’m in any city I like to plan ahead but also be very flexible. Our family racks up a lot of frequent flyer miles and traveling with kids as a single parent can be a challenge.
On this particular weekend we took advantage of marking something off of our travel bucket list which is to attend a major sporting event outside of Dallas. I didn’t even realize the US Figure Skating Championships were in Greensboro this year so it was a pleasant surprise that we enjoyed tremendously. I took my 4 and 3 year old to the pairs championship event. At the Greensboro Coliseum they had a fan fest that was free to the public where you could meet vendors, learn everything you wanted to know about US figure skating, bounce houses, food, skating demos and more. The fan fest was free. Tickets to the US Figure Skating Championships were done via Ticketmaster and you could purchase tickets for individual rounds or the entire event. I thought the seats we had were great and my kids could see everything. We had lower level seats that did cost about $65 each. You can learn more about the championships at usfsa.org
Walkway up to the Greensboro Coliseum
What’s it like to attend a Major Figure Skating event like this?
We are not ice skating aficionados and we wouldn’t know one athlete from the other. What I did like was how responsive everyone was on social media and how they easily blended our tweets and Instagram with the video boards. It makes interacting awesome.
One of our Instagram Posts:
It was also cute to receive these little Smucker’s Stuffed strawberries to throw on the ice.
We throw these stuffed strawberries onto the ice after each ice skater is finished! #NC2015 at the U.S. figure Skating Championships A photo posted by Heather B (@dallassinglemom) on
That was the most fun for the kids, throwing stuffed animals onto the ice after they are done skating. I don’t understand this practice but stuffed animals thrown after these competitions are called “Stuffies.” Ice Cleaners or younger, junior skaters compete to be one of the select few to be allowed to pick up all of the stuff that is thrown onto the ice. There are very strict rules for who can be an “Ice Cleaner” and strict rules that surround how one must skate to not offend the crowd but still pick up the items. They believe this tradition started in Europe a throwback to the ballet. Most figure skaters donate the items to children’s charities. We even got some Smucker’s Fruit-Fulls
We’ve got our @smuckers #Fruit-Fulls at US #FigureSkating Championships #NC2015 #pairs #TravelBlogger #TravelKids pic.twitter.com/y3KGdHi9DH — Heather Buen (@DallasSingleMom) January 24, 2015
My son enjoyed these and quite honestly these little fruit pouches make easy snacking in a crowded coliseum easy and mess free. Since it has actual fruit and no sugar it was a no brainer and he enjoyed them. Now we did try to get a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream there and succeeded but it was just a mess to take it to our seats.
Single Parent Travel Tip: Always carry a travel cup with a lid with a plastic fork or spoon inside. No matter where you are you can bring that cup out and it makes a great snack holder, beverage holder, or ice cream holder.
What did the Kids learn?
Well they learned about why we throw stuffed animals onto the ice after a performance. They even learned how to clap and say bravo. They got to hear classical music, enjoy ice skating and dance. At their young ages I think it was a treat as a parent to see what they like and dislike. My son enjoyed the music and would try to mimic the male skaters. My daughter enjoyed it for a bit but fell asleep in her chair. All in all it was a great experience and we have good memories of the event.
Some great places to take the kids in Greensboro include:
The Greensboro Science Center – one of our favorite places to visit this museum has everything in one from a small zoo, an aquarium, a museum and a theater. Great for little ones the museum is very hands on. This place also has a small cafe for kids to eat with healthy options.
Kids enjoying the toddler area of the Greensboro Science Center
If you are looking for a great source of kids things to do in Greensboro and the surrounding areas, you may want to check out the Piedmont Parent.
We also enjoy these other kid friendly places:
Greensboro Children’s Museum – Designed for kids ages 1 – 10 there are a lot of interactive exhibits here
North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro – located about 20 to 30 minutes away in Asheboro this place has a new polar bear exhibit and lots of play areas for the kids.
Celebration Station – a mini amusement center with go karts and arcade games.
Greensboro Ice House – Go ice skating on a 200-by 85-foot ice surface. You’ll find a viewing mezzainine, four enclosed locker rooms with showers, a full-service snack bar, pro shop and game arcade.
One of the black bears at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro
Disclaimer: We received no complimentary admission to any of these events. All opinions are 100 those of Dallas Single Mom.
