Let the holidays begin -- Union Square ice rink opens in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's starting to feel a lot like the holidays -- at least at San Francisco's Union Square.

A special event marked the opening of the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink.

A crowd of kids got a chance to strap on a pair of skates -- courtesy of Olympic Champion Brian Boitano's youth skate program.

And Boitano called the outdoor rink "first class."

"Willie B. Tech Productions puts in the ice surface here. I've skated on many different ice surfaces in my life, and they, bar none, they do the best ice surfaces in the world," Boitano said.

Admission is $13 for kids under 8 years old.

And don't let a lack of skating experience stop you.

The rink offers free skating clinics on weekends for families who sign up on line at the Union Square Ice Rink website.