City opens downtown roller skating rink

CLAYTON SIDENBENDER, The Elkhart Truth, Ind.
·2 min read

ELKHART — An outdoor roller skating rink opened to the public Thursday amid 90 degree heat at the downtown NIBCO Water & Ice Park

Jamison Czarnecki, superintendent of the City of Elkhart Parks and Recreation Department, said the roller rink was something the community has wanted for a long time.

“We’re hopeful that this facility will bring people out into downtown Elkhart more,” Czarnecki said. “It’ll give our residents something to do, where people can come have date night, to birthday parties … something to do for everyone.”

The ceremony featured a ribbon-cutting with members of the city council and Mayor Rod Roberson. They said part of the city’s Aspire initiative involves activating more places for public use. During the summer, the ice-skating rink is not used, and people wondered why the space is not used for roller skating.

The Elkhart Parks and Recreation Department decided to change that.

“When you look at the history of Elkhart over the last 20 years, especially when I was a kid growing up in the early 2000s, the sentiment was there’s nothing to do in this town,” Czarnecki said. “And now that I’m older, we’re still hearing that sentiment and you’ll hear that in every town, but our goal as the Parks Department for the City of Elkhart is to push that thought process.”

Roberson expressed his excitement for the opening of the rink. He said it harkens back to 2008, when the Martin family donated money toward the ice skating rink.

Local children and families came from around the area Thursday to roller skate around the rink.

“We always wanted a roller rink down here, close by to home, we only live two blocks away, and I thought it would be a good idea to get the kids out of the house, and go experience something that they never did,” said Lily Jackson, an Elkhart native.

Hours for the rink are 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, weather permitting. The cost for skate rental is $3 for adults and $2 for youth.

More information is available at 574-970-7490.