Skatefest 2023

WMSE is proud to support Skatefest on August 19 from 3 to 7 at Red Arrow Park. Skatefest is Milwaukee’s first outdoor skate festival celebrating Black Culture Roller Skating, a historic artform dating back to the 1940s and often overlooked as roller skating at large falls in and out of fashion in so-called mainstream culture. Black culture roller skating celebrates diversity, physical and mental health, self-expression, and generational teaching, and has been thriving in Milwaukee for decades. Come out and enjoy either your first taste of the culture or feed your distant memories of when Black Culture Roller Skating influenced your style, your family, your mindset, and your life. With curated music from some of Chicago’s best skate DJs and limited free skate rentals, come to learn or just enjoy a piece of Black history that shouts joy, unity, and resilience. Skatefest will be held at the long-fought for Red Arrow Park outdoor rink, which was previously only open to ice skating. 3-7 on August 19, 2023, presented by Roll Train Inc. a non-profit dedicated to the teaching and preservation of Black culture roller skating, and our partners at Shorewest Realtors. Skatefest is free to the public.