By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

The Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena recorded a record holiday weekend – both in attendance and revenue – from Jan. 17-20, drawing praise from city leaders during a Jan. 22 City Council meeting.

Fueled by a three-game hockey series between bitter rivals Auburn and Alabama from Jan. 17-19, the Civic Complex drew more than 8,000 visitors throughout the weekend, hosted 25 birthday parties and had more than 2,000 people participate in public skating sessions.

Civic Complex Director Danny Tate said the Civic Complex collected more than $83,000 in revenues during the four-day stretch – a record for a the facility built in the late 1990s.

Pelham Mayor Gary Waters, who said he spent much of the weekend at the Civic Complex, praised Tate, and said attendance and revenue trends at the facility have been on an upward swing for months.

“We just came off the best all-around weekend this facility has ever had,” Waters said.

Tate said the complex is preparing to award a bid on a project to expand the facility’s practice arena to host the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament and the Southeast Great Lakes Skating competition, both of which will be held next month.

“We are not finished growing by a long shot,” Tate said during a Jan. 21 interview. “The bids to expand the practice rink are due next Monday.

“This venue is becoming more well known, and we are getting better and better at what we are doing,” Tate said.