PORT ANGELES – The Winter Ice Village has been such a success in downtown Port Angeles that the Chamber of Commerce is right now installing the all new Olympic Skate Village, an outdoor roller skating rink, being installed now at the same location on Front Street.
On Monday, Chamber Director Marc Abshire described for us what to expect when it opens later this month.
“It’ll have that village feel to it, with a Snack Shack. We won’t be serving hot chocolate, but we are planning on serving slushies and nachos, I guess, something like that. The ladies have all these plans, so… but we will have roller skates for rent, just like ice skates. And we’ll have skate aids, for people who are not sure on their skates. We’ll have the quad skates, as well as the inline skates, and there’ll be three 3-hour sessions a day, basically.
Abshire says it will be open 7 days a week from noon until 10:00pm, June 23 through August 14.
Abshire was asked how the idea to put a roller skating rink came about.
“People…just, by request, basically. And for a couple of years I just kind of ignored it. And then, finally I decided, you know, this is something I think we can do for the community. And, I try not to do too much in the summertime to attract more people here, because we don’t need more people here, in July and August, especially. So the roller skating rink, unlike the ice skating rink, is not really meant to draw people to our area. It’s meant to make it more fun for people who are already here. So, I mean, I think it’s going to be great. We’re gonna see a lot of kids down there this summer, I think.”
Just like at the ice rink, volunteers are needed, and every time you volunteer you earn a session of free skating. Signups are at olympicskatevillage.com.
The cost will be $10 per 3-hour session, $8 if you bring your own skates. Group, senior, and military discounts will be available.
The Olympic Skate Village, 121 Front Street in downtown Port Angeles, June 23-August 14. Open 7 days a week.
Visit OlympicSkateVillage.com for more info!