Though the unseasonably warm weather makes thinking about the holidays nearly impossible, Denver City Council has approved plans for an ice rink at Skyline Park along the 16th Street Mall. The rink, which will be free to the public (though skate-rental fees will apply), is expected to open after Thanksgiving (via CBS4).

Southwest Airlines was instrumental in and is sponsoring the plan, writing on its blog: “When we talk to Denverites and organizations like our friends at the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) and ask them what they’d like to see in downtown Denver, far and away the thing we hear the most is they want an ice rink.”

From an economic standpoint, City Councilwoman Carla Madison thinks the rink will help downtown shops and restaurants. The last year the city had a public outdoor rink was 2002.