Roll Bounce!
Everybody loves a good skate night. The next time you’re traveling for the weekend or visiting family elsewhere, skip the movies and do something the whole family can enjoy. Not everyone can skate but everyone can try, and there is no electrifying energy like the kind you can feel at a good old skating rink. Next time you think about lacing up, bring your own or rent them there. Here are 5 Black-owned rinks to take your family to this year, courtesy of Travel Noire:
Rollin’ CLT Rink & Lounge | Charlotte, North Carolina
Rollin’ CLT is the first Black woman-owned skating rink in Charlotte, North Carolina. Doubling as both a rink and a lounge, they offer skate rentals, a live DJ, hookah bar, and a variety of food trucks. It’s owned by co-founders Kendria Holmes, Brandi Fox, and Sh’niqua Ussery. Holmes began working on the vision for the rink in 2016, launching officially at the end of 2021. The brand offers affordable skating lessons for children and adults weekly, and you can even book a private party for up to 75 guests.
Learn more info about Rollin’ CLT Rink & Lounge here.
Skate Zone | Morrow, Georgia
Couple Deborah and Richard Phillips own this southern skating rink. A staple in the community, patrons support Skate Zone not only for the community-based environment but also because it widely doubles as a popular event space for local parties. The Phillips use the business to promote entrepreneurship and hope that one day, their sons will get involved in the family business.
To learn more about events, hours of operations, etc., visit www.sk8-zone.com.
Dream Detroit Skating Academy | Detroit, Michigan
The Dream Detroit Skating Academy (DDSA) was founded by two former ice skaters, Angela Blocker-Loyd and Candice Tamakloe. Both women participated competitively as teens, reuniting as adults to open one of the city’s only Black-owned figure skating clubs in the state of Michigan. Their goal is to pay it forward, providing affordable skating lessons to low-income Detroit youth and exposing many more to the amazing world of figure skating.
“Exposure facilitates many of our youth’s interests. Interests are the seeds that inspire dreams, and dreams fuel our drive for success. Unfortunately, figure skating is an opportunity to which few Detroit youth are exposed, but Dream Detroit is working to change that,” a statement on the group's website reads.
For more information about DDSA, click here.
Zone One Entertainment Complex | Buffalo, New York
A newer family-friendly place in Buffalo, Zone One is an entertainment complex that hosts regular parties and skate events for the whole community. Not only can you bring the kids out for a roll around the rink, but they can also enjoy bumper cars, laser tag, various games and food. It’s a great time!
Learn more about Zone One Entertainment complex here.
RollerCade | Detroit Michigan
This one is one of Detroit’s oldest Black-owned skating rinks. Family-owned since 1955, the business is a hub for skating aficionados from Detroit and all over the country. The historic skate rink hosts regular events and lessons at their Southwest Detroit location and in 2021, they worked with Downtown Detroit to transform a commercial outdoor real estate space into a recreational area complete with a roller-skating rink.
To get more information about RollerCade and visit, click here.
Happy skating!
5 Black-owned skating rinks to take your family to this year. Photo Courtesy of @rollin_clt/Instagram