Old-school skate party in Miami
Bayskate Holiday Boogie is a throwback nightclub on wheels.
Dust off those fourwheel lace-ups and kneepads: the free Bayskate Holiday Boogie, a throwback nightclub on wheels, will roll through Miami ahead of Christmas this month.
The pop-up holiday skate-off will bring oldschool vibes to the Pepper fountain inside Bayfront Park in downtown Miami, which will be converted into a temporary roller rink Dec. 20-22.
But before that, the organizers of Bayskate Miami will throw a Holiday Boogie kickoff party on Thursday at Veza Sur Brewing Company in nearby Wynwood, where veteran DJ Sauce-E King will spin skate jams while Miami Quad Squad, a local skating crew, flaunts their fancy footwork during a performance.
Here’s everything you should know about the Bayskate Holiday Boogie.
If it’s free, can you just show up and skate?
Yes and no. While it’s free to dance and shuffle around the rink in your personal duds (rollerblades or classic skates), you can rent skates from Super Wheels, the roller-skate purveyor on site, for $15.
What else is there to do at Bayskate Holiday Boogie?
Perhaps you remember shuffling at the rink to ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down” or Chic’s “Le Freak,” painfully knocking your feet on the hardwood for the 27th time. That’s not how Bayskate rolls. All-ages skaters will hit the rink to a soundtrack of old-school funk, soul, freestyle and rap provided by live DJs, and there will be to-be-announced “surprise guests and celebrity appearances.”
Meanwhile, there will be a Veza Sur Beer Garden for 21-and-older skaters, offering craft brews and food. Visitors can rest their weary feet in the “Gnome Forest,” a pop-up decorated picnic area, buy skating-themed cocktails at the ACE Parlor, or sip four flavors of coquitos (basically egg nog spiked with Puerto Rican rum) at the Botran Coquito Bar. Finally, there’s a “Chomp Park” village, where food vendors will sell barbecue, burgers, tacos and sweets. Hate waiting to skate? The skating rink isn’t massive, and there will be lines. Avoid them by registering for a free Bayskate Fast Pass. You’ll need to fill out a short questionnaire and sign a liability waiver, but it means you can bypass registering at the event.
Where and when is it? The Holiday Boogie Kickoff Party will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Veza Sur Brewing Company (55 NW 25th St., Miami), with a performance by local skate group Miami Quad Squad. The public isn’t allowed to skate at this event.
The Bayskate Holiday Boogie will roll 4-11 p.m. Dec. 20, 4 p.m.-midnight Dec. 21 and 1 p.m.-midnight Dec. 22 at Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Go to BayskateMiami.com.