Skate Jam will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the park beside T.J. Davis. The rain date is April 1.
“We’ll be giving anyone who wants the opportunity to show off their skills,” said Koy Worrell, T.J. Davis supervisor. “It’s not a competition, there’s no judging.”
It’s simply an opportunity for skateboarders, BMXers and those who ride scooters to navigate the park solo and display their acumen.
There will be a drawing for skateboards from Hard Luck Skate Shop. The shop, along with Hangtime will be providing goodie bags, which include free time for the indoor trampoline park and wax, stickers and adjusting tools from the skate shop.
There will also be food and music at the free event.
Since its opening last March, the park has been a popular destination, Worrell said. “It stays busy every, single day. There’s a variety of talent. There’s people traveling from Rocky Mount and other areas. We’ve got people out there from a higher skill level.”
Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said, “According to our diehard enthusiasts, pros come in when there’s a little less traffic to skate at our park.”
Worrell said the city hopes Saturday’s event will lead to competitions being held at the park. For now, he said, “We just want to celebrate the park being open for a year.”
Simeon said the event is for all ages and is designed to be a family day. “We’ll look at competitions and tournaments in the future.”
Since opening, the city estimates the park brings in between 25 to 50 users a day.
“We have equipment that can be checked out,” Worrell said. “Once school lets out, all that stuff stays out.”
Simeon said response to the park has been overwhelming. “The response was far more than expected. The community support has been overwhelming. It’s nice to see the community get behind this project.”