Lace Up: Looks Like Bismarck Is Getting A New Roller Rink

Rolling Through My Youth

Okay, I'm about to show my age, but I remember growing up during a time when roller rinks were a thing. We had one in my hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Our schools would frequently take field trips to the roller rink, and it was always the place to be as a young teen. I still remember the butterflies as you try to get up enough courage to ask that girl you like to skate on a couples skate. Holding hands with that special girl while your friends snickered as you skated by them. Good times!

Retro Wheels, Mondern Tech

Back then, roller rinks were so much more than skating to the hits; they were also an arcade, a place to get pizza and other food items, and they would typically turn into teen dances on the weekend. This was before cell phones, of course, and when I told my 22-year-old son how this is how it used to be when I was a teen, all he could do was laugh.

Details Rollin' In!

City of Bismarck

Well, it appears one business in Bismarck intends to give roller rinks a shot again in this cell phone era we live in. According to the City of Bismarck website, Buffalo Gypsy, a very cool Western apparel store, which is located at 1100 Canada Ave. in Bismarck, in the former Ale Works Building, intends to add a new addition to their building. They have been approved by the city for the construction of a single-story 19,260 square feet building that will become a roller rink. Additional site improvements include utility connections, parking, and landscaping.

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We will continue to keep you updated as details roll in on this new venture from Buffalo Gypsy. We wish them the best of luck.