Break out those Rollerblades, or even your old-school, four-wheeled lace-ups: the long awaited roller rink takeover of Bayfront Park makes its debut on February 26.
Known as Bay Skate, the project won the Miami Foundation's Public Space Challenge last year, and the plan is to wow Miamians with an evening of skating, celebrities, funky tunes, food, drinks, and nonstop throwbacks.
See also: Bay Skate to Bring Hot Wheels-Style Roller Rink to Bayfront Park
Marcos Macias is bringing the project to fruition with the help of his brother Alex and the rest of the team at Macias Advertising, plus a whole host of other partners and participants.
Originally, the idea was to recreate the Monday night skate scene at Miami's famous Hot Wheels roller rink. They moved the day to Thursday, however, to draw a bigger crowd.
The plan is to set up a rink surrounding Bayfront Park's Pepper Fountain. .
"We've engaged Monie Love, the classic hip-hop artist. She came from the era of the old school skating days. Her videos were her roller skating -- she'll be there to hype up the crowd," says Alex Macias, COO/Managing Partner of Macias Advertising.
There'll be live music, plus DJs spinning skate jams sure create the necessary vintage vibes. "We're going to have a food truck area," adds Macias. "We have Wynwood Brewery who jumped on board providing beer."
There'll also be classic cars on display, shoe valets and skate rentals, celebrity guests and lots of other surprises.
"The first [skating] session will be from 5 to 7 p.m. It'll be more family-friendly and get the kids out there with their families. With session two from 7:30 to 11 p.m. we kind of bring it up a notch and make it more of an adult-focused experience," explains Macias.
The overall idea of the event, which they hope will be ongoing, is to highlight local businesses and offer a lighthearted, community experience for Miami residents.
"We spend a lot of money promoting Miami as a tourist destination, but really nothing is done to promote locals ... the people opening businesses, the ones really developing these neighborhoods," says Macias.
The event is free, and while Macias Advertising is doing much of the heavy lifting for the first activation, they hope to continue the event through sponsorships and community support. The long-term plan is for it to happen monthly, from the late fall through early spring.
"It's a throwback nostalgic experience where young people who are enjoying the lifestyle now and older people like myself that grew up like this can come together and share an experience. I think that's what Miami is really about -- this gives an opportunity to showcase that."
"It's really about bringing Miami people back to their glory days."
Bay Skate will kick off at Bayfront Park on Thursday, February 26, with the first skate session starting at 5 p.m. Admission is free. There will be skate rentals on site, but supplies will be limited and it's recommended that people bring their own skates. Visit facebook.com/bayskatemiami for details.
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