Postcard: Mexico City

A free ice-skating rink in the central plaza is this winter's big hit. Inside one mayor's unusual campaign to win over the masses

Henry Romero / Reuters

Winter Wonderland: Mexico City's major has turned the Zocalo into an unexpected attraction.

Construction worker Macario Lopez has lined up for four hours--along with his brothers, children and nephews--to swap his cowboy boots for a pair of ice skates. He could never afford to take his family to a commercial rink, which costs about $5 a head, he says. But the Christmas season has brought a colossal 34,400-sq.-ft. (about 3,200 sq m) open-air skating rink to the central square known as the Zócalo in the heart of Mexico City. It's the largest rink in the world, boosters claim. More important, it's free. Tens of thousands of eager Mexico City residents have turned out to...

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