Franciscan Polar Plaza is the place to be once winter hits. Think you can find something better to do than busting out some ice skates? Yeah, good luck with that. Polar Plaza is on its fourth year of setting up an ice-skating rink decked out in wintery goodness at Tollefson Plaza, just across from the Tacoma Art Museum in downtown Tacoma. With three fabulous years behind them, the Plaza folks put their heads together and found a few key ways to make this ritzy rink even better for 2014.

FRANCISCAN POLAR PLAZA, through Sunday, Jan. 11, Tollefson Plaza, 17th and Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, $4-$8, $2 skate rentals, polarplaza.com

Rhythm & Ice: Down Home Holiday Hoedown

• Live Bluegrass/Country/Old-Timey Bands
• 7-9 p.m., Saturdays, Nov. 22-Jan. 3
• Concerts are free, $4-$8 ice skating
• Polar Plaza Ice Rink, Tollefson Plaza
• 17th and Pacific Avenue, downtown Tacoma
• PolarPlaza.com

Saturday, Nov. 22, 7-9 p.m.: The Cottonwood Cutups

The Cottonwood Cutups were conceived by the many campfire jams held in the Hoh Rain Forest of the Olympic National Park. A mix of influences meld country, old-time, ragtime, punk, bluegrass, rock and jazz to bring about their sound. Website

Saturday, Nov. 29, 7-9 p.m.: SweetKiss Momma

Puyallup band SweetKiss Momma draw from several eras of Southern rock, from the heavy blues of their new Nashville-produced CD A Reckoning Is Coming's title track to the Wilco-ish lilt of "Same Old Stories" and "Laura Rose," the arena-sized stomps and handclaps of "For the Last Time" to the silly organ-led jaunt of "Birthday Cake." Website

Saturday, Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m.: Shotgun Kitchen

An almost too obvious entry point for the kind of satirical Americana of Shotgun Kitchen would be their spiritual forefather, John Prine. Expect stories about white-trash-living and country-road-dying performed with appealingly outlaw country-ish instrumentation and vocals. Facebook

Saturday, Dec. 13, 7-9 p.m.: The Rusty Cleavers

It seems only natural to combine the worlds of bluegrass and punk, and the Rusty Cleavers do so magnificently, with all manner of mandolin, banjo and backyard clatter coming together in a cacophony of spirited group-singing and hoops and hollers. Facebook

Saturday, Dec. 20, 7-9 p.m.: Dixie Highway

In Dixie Highway, the fiddle and banjo dance together to create a sound that harkens the spirit of down home Americana. Whether they are playing a barn dance or a tavern, Dixie Highway will have you on your feet.

Saturday, Dec. 27, 7-9 p.m.: Forest Beutel

Forest Beutel is a fixture of Tacoma's bluegrass scene, playing banjo for Barleywine Revue and punkgrass outfit The Rusty Cleavers. In September, he released If You Label Me, You Negate Me, his first solo album. Facebook

Saturday, Jan. 3, 7-9 p.m.: The Oly Mountain Boys

The Oly Mountain Boys play bluegrass with high-energy drive and a Pacific Northwest bent, mixing traditional tunes with revolutionary original bluegrass compositions. By combining picking prowess with tight three-part vocal harmonies, the band aims to showcase the power and appeal of a truly American musical form. Website