GARFIELD PARK — A Garfield Park gym is transforming into a pop-up roller rink through the winter to give West Siders increased opportunities to participate in roller skating’s renaissance.
The Garfield Park Skate Meetup is 5:30-8 p.m. Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 21 and April 18 at the park’s gymnasium, 100 N. Central Park Ave. It debuted in November.
Skating is free and open to the public, with free food and drinks and raffles for skates. Skates are free to rent at the event.
The skating meetup is a partnership between the Garfield Park Advisory Council, the West Side Cultural Arts Council and the Humboldt Park Skate Meetup, which hosts a popular skating event in the West Side park.
Bringing a pop-up skating rink to Garfield Park provides greater access to the sport and hobby, which has seen a resurgence in popularity, said organizer Gina Jameson. It also gives families a safe heaven for recreation while another popular outpost is closed for renovations.
The skating night comes as the Garfield Park Community Plaza, which brought a roller rink to the community in 2021, is closed for improvements. The renovated park will include more play areas for kids, an upgraded roller rink and a sculpture.
“Skating is starting to come back now,” said Jameson, president of the Garfield Park Advisory Council. “Even if you aren’t good at skating, you should still come out to see for yourself or take part in the raffles, too.”
Roller skating, like other outdoor-friendly activities, saw an uptick in popularity during the pandemic.
Humboldt Park Skate Meetup started as an outlet for its founder, Justine Ingram, to feel a sense of relief from the isolation of the pandemic in August 2020. She said the growth of the skating meetup has been a beautiful journey in establishing community connection, something she is glad to see come to Garfield Park.
“We’ve been seeing more participation over the years. The support has been incredible,” Ingram said. “We’re hoping that it continues to grow. We want to be a safe space for people of all ages.”
Roller skating also has importance and history in Chicago.
West Garfield Park was once the home of the Chicago Roller Skate Company, which the Made in Chicago Museum referred to as “the standard bearers of their industries and the preferred choice of every kid looking for cool, independent modes of transport in the U.S.”
The Tribune was one of the first national newspapers to cover and coin the term “roller derby” during roller derby racing events.
Skating has also held a significant level of popularity within the Black community, being used as a form of expression for young people during the Civil Rights Movement. Some Black entrepreneurs are trying to bring roller rinks back to neighborhoods across the country, NBC reported.
JB style skating, a form of skating focusing on footwork and dancing, originated on the South Side and remains a popular style of skating worldwide today. “JB” is a reference to musician James Brown, whose songs would soundtrack roller rinks.
Graphic designer Michelle Jay said she started skating a year ago and saw Facebook posts about the meetups before deciding to try out the pop-up rink. She sees it as a great thing for the community as a free event and as a reclamation of the culture of skating in the Black community.
“Unfortunately, a lot of skating rinks in the city and suburbs ended up closing, and there was a racial component to that, too,” Jay said. “It’s good to see that people in our community still embrace it.”
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