A skating rink will once again be set up in Mexico City’s central square in December for Christmas celebrations but for the first time ever it won’t be made of ice.

This year’s rink will have an acrylic surface, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told a press conference on Monday, explaining that the purpose of the change is to be environmentally-friendly and save public money.

She said that the ice rinks in the zócalo in recent years were expensive both to set up and maintain because they required a lot of electricity. The total annual outlay was around 30 million pesos (US $1.55 million at today’s exchange rate), the mayor said.

This year’s synthetic rink will cost the city much less “not just in terms of rent but also the electricity it consumes and the emissions it generates,” Sheinbaum said. “As I have said [previously], the environment has to be [considered] in our project.”

Christmas festivities at the zócalo will commence on December 15 and include performances by a children’s choir, Sheinbaum said, adding that the traditional Christmas lights that adorn surrounding buildings will use environmentally-friendly LED bulbs.

This year’s celebration will be different because it will be environmental conscious, she declared.

The Morena party mayor, a close ally of President López Obrador, said her government intends to decrease spending on Christmas festivities every year during her six-year term.

Source: Milenio (sp)