Richmond's first outdoor skating rink is now open

A former basketball court at Hotchkiss Park in Northside is now home to the city's first outdoor roller rink.

What's happening: Richmond artist Taron Sparks, aka Silly Genius, created the space as a mural-based public art project intended to recognize "the historical & cultural importance of roller skating in Black & queer communities," he wrote in a statement.

• The mural was funded through a mini-grant from Reclaiming The Monument via its Mellon Foundation grant and created in partnership with the city's parks department.

Why it matters: Roller skating has been experiencing a revival since the pandemic, but few public spaces have opened to meet the increasing demand.

Zoom in: The rink opened last week, but on Saturday there's a celebratory pop-up event — Backspin — from 7-10:30pm, featuring music by The Disco Cat and DJ Mike Kemetic, plus food by Nomad Deli.

• Skate rentals will be available Saturday for $5, but all other times it's BYOSkates.

The park and rink are open daily, dawn until dusk.