Could Bangor, Maine Get A New Roller Skating Rink Again?

Does anyone else miss lacing a pair of skates up?

Hard to believe it has been almost 10 years to the day that Great Skates in Bangor closed its doors for one last roll around the rink, way back on June 29, 2016.

Great Skates was a popular destination for young and old alike for over 21 years, here in the Bangor area. And who could forget the glory days of Happy Wheels? Lots of great memories were made in both of those iconic spots.

Going skating on a Friday and Saturday night was practically a rite of passage around here, back in the '80s and '90s.

Check out this classic Great Skates promo we found on YouTube, from 2010.

Much like a drive-in, the popularity of roller skating rinks has dwindled in recent years. In fact, there are just a handful here in the State of Maine:

Sunbeam Roller Rink, Smithfield

Happy Wheels Skate Center, Westbrook

Rollodrome Inc, Auburn

Melody Roller Rink, Caribou

Rollerama, Houlton

I remember right before it closed in 2016, we were invited to take some skating lessons around the rink at Great Skates! It didn't go well for me at first, but it turns out that the expression "just like riding a bike" is true, because I picked up my old form pretty quickly.

So the question today is, would you like to see one again here in Bangor? It is a fun activity for kids and adults. And, it's not a bad way to get a little exercise, while having a blast, listening to the hit songs of the day.