There’s a chill in the air and the scent of pumpkin spice on the wind. The sweaters and boots are coming out and the leaves are falling. Yes, all the signs are plain to see: It’s fall, y’all! If you’re looking for fun family activities in the area, you’re in luck. Check out some of the best fall events in Lockport this October and get ready to scare up some fun!

Scarecrow Festival – Saturday, October 5th, 9 am to 3 pm

This local fall festival is hosted by the Lions Club. Make your own scarecrow, shop the flea market, and enjoy food from a variety of vendors. There will also be pony rides and games for the kids.  

Oktoberfest – Saturday, October 5th, 6 pm

Come hungry because the Niagara History Center’s annual Oktoberfest celebration will be serving up delicious German foods, including brats, sauerkraut, roast pork, German-style potato salad, sweet and sour cabbage, and (for the adults) plenty of beer! In addition to the smorgasbord of culinary delights, there will be live performances of traditional Bavarian music. Reservations are required, so check out the event page for more details. 

YMCA Fall Festival – Saturday, October 26th, 11 am to 2 pm

This family-friendly event focuses on outdoor activities, with archery, field games, and a climbing wall. There will also be kids’ activities, s’mores, a chili cook-off, and more! 

Veterans Day Skate – Monday, November 12th, noon to 8 pm

Celebrate our troops at our Veterans Day Skate. Admission is FREE to veterans and active military with military ID. Check out our schedule to see more upcoming events at Rainbow Skateland in Lockport. 

If you’re an experienced skater, you’ve likely developed some preferences for your skates and know just how you want them to be. So what can you do if none of the ready-to-go skate sets appeal to your preferences and style? Don’t stress – DIY! Read on for some tips on how to build your own custom roller skates from parts, and find out where to buy skate parts and roller skates in Lockport, NY. 

Buying skate parts for custom skates

The best part of creating your own custom roller skates is that you can get them exactly how you want, from boot to plate, trucks to bearings, wheels to toe stops, and even the color of your laces. Visit our Lockport pro shop and chat with our friendly staff about what you’re looking for. We have a wide array of roller skate parts as well as the ability to order pretty much anything you would need for a custom skate build. 

You can even turn sneakers into roller skates fairly easily, so you can roll in style in your Vans, Chucks, or Jordans! Just be aware that you may need to do some extra reinforcing in certain places, and they typically will not offer the same level of support and durability as real skate boots. 

Whatever you’re in the market for, make it a reality at the Rainbow Skateland pro shop, or show off your custom skates during one of our skating sessions! You can also check out these resources for more DIY skate-building tips. 

• How to Build Your Own Roller Skates
• Guide to Skate Wheels
• Guide to Roller Skate Bearings

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over, but sure enough, families in Lockport are preparing for the first day of school on September 4th. While you’re shopping for school supplies, backpacks, and the perfect first day of school outfits for your kids, it’s also a great time to book a back-to-school field trip in Lockport. Your child’s class will have a blast learning with us at Rainbow Skateland!

Educational, Active, and FUN Field Trips

According to Informal Science, “Field trips are recognized as important moments in learning; a shared social experience that provides the opportunity for students to encounter and explore novel things in an authentic setting.” Even the National Science Teachers Association states that field trips can “deepen and enhance” classroom study. 

So, what will students learn during a roller skating field trip? There are many possibilities, but the physics of roller skating is a popular subject for educators to tie in with classroom science curricula. Students can learn about friction and speed with activities that demonstrate the math and science theories in action. 

In addition to the STEM aspects of a roller skating field trip, it’s also a great physical education opportunity! Roller skating can help students develop balance, strengthen core and leg muscles, and improve stamina, all while having fun and socializing with their classmates. 

Don’t wait too late to schedule a skating field trip at your school! Parents and teachers, contact us at 716-507-4381 or online for more information or to make a school group reservation. 

Do you love cracking open a new book, appreciating the colorful regularity of a freshly-opened box of crayons, or inhaling the intoxicating scent of a new car? Well, if you’re a skater, you can also get that feeling from opening up a box to see your brand new roller skates! While getting a new pair of skates is definitely exciting, don’t forget that just like shoes, skate boots need to be broken in.

Learn how to protect your ankles while breaking in roller skates with these 3 tips from the skating pros at Rainbow Skateland. 

• Wear the right socks. Socks aren’t just mandatory at the skating rink, they can also make a big difference in the comfort of your skate boots! If your boots are a little too loose, you can wear heavier, more padded socks like you would for long-distance running. A smidge too tight? Opt for thinner socks to give yourself a little wiggle room. If the skate is rubbing your ankle, protect yourself with taller socks. 
• Add some extra cushioning with moleskin padding. Moleskin and similar products are widely used to ease or prevent the pain caused by new shoe friction. If you’ve tried on your skates at home and feel like there may be some friction on your toes, the top of your foot, or the side or back of your ankle, be proactive and add some moleskin to protect your foot from the boot. 
• Use an ankle sleeve or bootie. Available in different designs, colors, and thicknesses from various manufacturers, ankle sleeves like this one can protect your foot and ankle from chafing and blisters until you break in your skates. Some people also appreciate the extra ankle support, so you may end up using it even afterward! Just be sure to choose a model that is either seamless or has seams positioned in such a way as to avoid causing more friction. 

Once you know how to break in your skates without hurting your ankles, it’s time to get rolling! Join us at our open skating sessions in Lockport any time.

There’s no feeling quite like the exhilaration of gliding around a skating rink. However, once you’re comfortable with the basics of skating, you may want to expand your repertoire with some skating tricks! Check out our tips for learning how to spin on roller skates, and join us at Rainbow Skateland to practice your skills.

How to do a spin on skates

Spinning is a great roller skating trick that doesn’t take up as much room to execute as some other skating tricks, making it easier to practice when the skating rink is busy. 

1. Prepare your posture. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your feet approximately shoulder width. Your hips should be squarely facing forward. 
2. Use your arms. Extend your arms out at right angles from your body. As you skate, turn both arms to the same side while bringing them down to your body. 
3. Go with the flow. The momentum of your arms should pull your skates into position, with your closer skate moving backwards while the farther skate moves forward. As you gain momentum into the spin, lift your body and move your skates closer together. 

You can spin either direction; try the way that feels comfortable to you first, and then challenge yourself to do the other way once you’ve got the movement down. Want to kick it up another notch? Try switching directions mid-spin! 

Remember, practice makes perfect, so visit our Lockport skating rink whenever you want to work on your skating tricks, from spinning to the moon walk!

So, you’ve finally taken the plunge and purchased your own pair of roller skates. No longer will you be subject to rental fees or generic skate styles! You’ve got your dream skates and you’re ready to roll, but before you hit the rink (or the road) make sure you know how to keep your skates in good condition and what not to do. 

One of the most common ways to ruin roller skates is to let them stay wet. If you sweat in your skates, or perhaps you were skating outdoors and got caught in the rain, it’s imperative that you dry them off as soon as possible! Use a soft cloth to wipe down the outside, then loosen up the laces, open up the tongue of the boot, and wipe the inside down as well. DO NOT attempt to dry them faster with a heat source, because that may warp the boot and throw off the fit. 

Want to shorten the life of your skates? Never clean them! Whether you’re skating indoors our outdoors, they’re likely to pick up a good bit of dirt and debris over time. If left untouched, this junk will gum up the workings of your skate and decrease performance. Cleaning your skates is actually very easy and there are a ton of videos you can watch to learn how. 

Are you seeing a pattern here? Neglect is the death knell for skates. The last way to ruin your skates is to ignore their maintenance needs. You should check your skates regularly to see if the trucks are tightened and the toe stops are on securely. It’s also important to examine your wheels and replace them if necessary. 

Now that you know what to do and what not to do with roller skates, you can get rolling! Visit us at Rainbow Skateland for roller skating in Lockport, NY, and get the roller skating supplies you need from our pro shop. 

Did you know that June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month? With 50 million people living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia throughout the world, it’s more important than ever to raise awareness of brain health and work for treatments and assistance for the many families affected by this horrible disease. 

So, where does roller skating enter the mix? Well, there are a couple of ways!

1. Roller skating is great exercise, providing a cardiovascular workout, strengthening and toning muscles, and improving balance and coordination, in addition to being a very social activity – both of which are thought to be important factors in brain health! According to researchers, exercise may help to prevent Alzheimer’s by “cleaning up” amyloid plaque and other issues that cause cognitive impairment. Meanwhile, socialization is also suspected to play a role in preventing dementia in older adults. One study even showed that women with larger social networks were 26 percent less likely to develop dementia than women with smaller social networks. 
   
2. Roller skating fundraisers can help you raise money for organizations you care about. At Rainbow Skateland, we help local schools, charities, and other organizations raise money with group events that really put the “fun” in fundraising! If you’re interested in raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association or another cause close to your heart, contact us to discuss your Lockport fundraiser or check out our group events page!