The City of Gainesville Sunday will host its second annual skating event on the Midland Greenway for people to bring anything that “rolls without a motor” and enjoy the springtime sun.
Skate the City will take place on April 30 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with the course stretching from the Gainesville Skate Park north through the greenway to the Buffington Real Estate Group Parking lot. The community is invited to gather with rollerskates, skateboards, bikes, scooters and strollers.
The inaugural Skate the City event took place in 2019. After three years off, the event is returning with vendors, music, art and other concessions for the public to enjoy.
A DJ will be providing music, with food and drink options from Inked Pig BBQ, King of Pops Ice Cream and Drinks by Downtown Drafts. Along with the skating, attendees will have the chance to play yard games and participate in a large-scale canvas painting project. Kids will get to paint mini skateboards, skates or bicycles as well.
At the southern end of the greenway, the skate park will feature tunes from the Let There Be Rock music school and food from Carniceria Tapatia, Midland Ice Cream Social and a concessions stand from the Parks and Rec department, according to the city website.
Explore Gainesville, the tourism and recreation hub for the city, will also have a mobile visitor’s center set up to provide information about other activities in the Gainesville area.
The Midland Greenway, located at 682 Grove Street, is connected to the Highlands to Islands Trail and is paved along the entire historic trail line through town. Nicknamed after the Gainesville Midland Railroad, the area includes the old railway that is largely credited for Gainesville’s early growth in the 1900s, according to the city.
The greenway includes fishing opportunities, a dog park, multi-use trails, an inclusive playground, public art displays and a stage for community events.
