Tri-Cities roller rink successful for 70-plus years. Why it’s a local staple

Imagine a place with flashing lights, loud music and the flow of bodies passing yours as you coordinate your movements with the song.

You’re not in the club. You’re skating at the Rollarena Skating Center in Richland, surrounded by family and friends.

No matter how old you are, if you grew up in Tri-Cities, you probably have at least one memory like this.

Advertised as a “fun place to be since 1953,” the family-run roller rink at 849 Stevens Drive has been a Tri-Cities staple for more than 70 years.

Here’s what makes it a local staple:

How did Richland skating center get started?

In 1943, the U.S. government acquired the town of Richland and transformed it into a planned community to support the Hanford Site workforce.

To open a business here, you needed to secure rights from the federal government.

That’s exactly what Rollarena founders Howard and Grace Bacon did in 1953. They built a structure with a distinctive barrel roof, making their roller rink stand out.

At the time, Hanford workers and their families used a large tent for multiple purposes, including use as an occasional skating rink.

Rollarena Skating Center gave locals a permanent, indoor facility dedicated to roller skating.

The Bacons operated Rollarena for 24 years. Then, in 1977, they passed the torch to their son, Alan, who shared a birth year with the rink.

He grew up in the facility, and it was his turn to run it.

These days, Alan Bacon and his wife, Judy Bacon, still work at the rink, while their daughter handles day-to-day operations.

Kelsey Bacon, 36, is the general manager at Rollarena Skating Center.

While the facility still sports its unique barrel roof, just about everything else has been updated over the years.

How has Rollarena Skating Center changed?

Alan told the Tri-City Herald that Rollarena Skating Center has seen “huge changes” since the 1950s.

“Back in the ‘50s, you had to put powder on the floor in order to keep grip,” he said. “They’ve invented a coating on the floor now, you don’t have to have all of that.”

He said the past few decades have brought major upgrades to all roller rinks, including projectors and modern sound systems.

“Always something for improving and changing,” Kelsey said.

When her father first took over, the roller rink played music for skaters using vinyl records.

“If you didn’t have music, you’d lose 99% of our clientele,” Alan said. “Picking that, determining what the audience wants is essential.”

During the 1950s and ‘60s, people mostly skated to traditional organ music, Alan said. Pop and disco music took over in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Rollarena even featured regular live music in its early days. Notable acts including The Drifters, The Wailers and Fats Domino performed at the rink.

“It’s just a world of a difference in quality and what we need,” Alan said. “We’ve got thousands of songs to play from. We didn’t have that back then — whatever you can put on the walls, that was all you had.”

Rollarena changes its regular skate session playlist once a month, focusing on family-friendly songs with a wide appeal.

Roller rink updates food menu, skate options

Rollarena Skating Center has upgraded its snack bar quite a bit over the years, offering food options such as nachos and pizza in addition to snacks and candy.

In the last few years, the Bacon family updated all the skates available at the roller rink, from traditional quad skates to inline and speed options.

“All the skates are the nicest skates you can get,” Kelsey said.

The Bacon family is part of national boards focused on roller skating and also attends a skating convention each year in order to see what new upgrades are available, what the trends are and what’s working at roller rinks across the country.

Who works at Rollarena in Richland?

While Rollarena Skating Center is family owned and operated, more than just the Bacon family works there.

The business has about a dozen employees, according to Kelsey, with ebbs and flows throughout the year. Most are part-time workers due to varying hours of operation.

She said a lot of Rollarena’s workforce is in college, since the schedule pairs well with college class schedules. These employees typically stay for several years, taking advantage of consistent job they enjoy.

“Most of our employees like skating, they enjoy being here, they skate on their time off,” Kelsey said. “They just really love the sport and the rink. That really helps when they’re an employee.

“They know how to talk to customers and answer their questions, and just generally want to make people be successful at skating, that really helps.”

She said Rollarena even had a few staff proposals at the rink in the past year.

How does Richland roller skating business stay relevant?

Lasting for more than 70 years is no small feat for any business.

With roller rinks across the country shutting down for good, Rollarena Skating Center’s success is particularly noteworthy.

Even New York City has seen many rinks shut down, with all longstanding permanent indoor facilities closing their doors by 2024.

Many rinks closed when the popularity of roller skating fell following the disco era. Even more closed due to the financial challenges of the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

So how has the Rollarena stayed open?

With the building long paid off, the business’s financial burden isn’t as bad as many newer rinks, according to Judy.

Even when roller skating isn’t trending, it remains popular enough to keep the doors open, her daughter said.

Skating isn’t just a family-friendly activity that can be truly enjoyed at any age, Kelsey said.

It also teaches valuable skills. Kids learn resiliency by continuing to skate even after they fall. Student athletes gain coordination and balance by skating.

Younger generations learn focus and grow relationships by dedicating a few hours to a physical activity with their friends, no phones required.

“I hope we’re doing our part to keep the Tri-Cities healthy and help all the sports teams in the Tri-Cities, they can get coordinated here,” Kelsey Bacon said. “Then they can go win championships.”

While the COVID pandemic hurt small business owners, it had a positive impact on skating as a recreation as people searched for solo physical activity that was still fun.

Alan said there was a re-emergence of adult skaters on the West Coast during the pandemic, and they were itching for roller rinks to reopen to the public.

Rollarena closed for a full year during COVID, but the boom in skaters of all ages afterward sustained the rink.

“Once we were able to be open again, those adults came back in a big wave that we hadn’t seen in a while,” Bacon said. “That’s continued, so that’s been really great.”

What events are held at Richland skating rink?

Rollarena Skating Center has continued to maintain roots in the community, boosting its success and continually growing its customer base.

The Bacons said they regularly partner with local schools, parent-teacher groups, daycare centers, churches, community organizations such as Tri-Cities Pride and the Juneteenth Committee.

“We like doing all those different types of events, because it’s fun to see everyone in their element …” Kelsey Bacon said. “We definitely enjoy having all types of skaters here. It’s kind of an endless list.”

The roller rink partners with Mid-Columbia Libraries to provide free entry coupons for students who read over the summer. The Bacon family said they see hundreds of these coupons redeemed each year.

The Bacons also conduct at least one fundraiser a year, usually switching off the recipient — veterans one year, the local homeless community the next.

“We try to do something like that every year, because we really want to support those organizations,” Kelsey Bacon said.

Her mom said these various community events raises people’s awareness of the rink, and inspires them to support it in return.

To preserve the rink’s broad appeal, the Rollarena hosts themed nights on occasion.

Kelsey Bacon said recent themes include ‘80s parties, Taylor Swift nights and K-pop parties, noting that the rink is always looking for ways to reach new people.

Additionally, the rink offers an adult skate session on Thursday nights for skaters 18 and older.

These feature a live DJ, local DJ Prota-C, who takes requests and switches up from the regular family-focused playlist. He’s also hosted theme nights for these sessions, including a Caribbean night and a Latin night.

“A lot of people come every week to that,” Kelsey said. “Because this is their friend group, this is their community. So that’s really fun.”

According to the Bacons, these weekly sessions provide a third space for adults to hang out.

DJ Prota-C told the Herald that many people have learned about the adult skate sessions since he started with the Rollarena in December 2024.

“I’m also the official Tri-Cities Juneteenth DJ, so it’s been nice to incorporate my events with theirs and expand our community together hosting theme nights,” Prota-C said. “I consider the Rollarena staff my family, and the monumental building a home for me and my skills, and a place for anyone to come have a lifelong memory.”

What do people love about Rollarena?

Alan said socialization is a big part of the roller skating experience.

He said people of any age can enjoy the activity — away from their screens and close to their friends and family.

“I’ve asked kids forever, ‘What’s your favorite part about skating?’ ” Judy said. “(They say) ‘Hanging out with my friends.’ That means it’s face-to-face. It’s not on your phone, it’s up close and personal.”

Her husband said this community aspect is the most special part of the roller rink.

Kelsey loves seeing the memories people make at the Rollarena, from the regulars who visit every week to the folks who attend special events once or twice a year, from the skate club members who prepare for national competitions to the young kids who learn to skate for the first time at their facility.

“I’ve seen the kids push through and actually succeed,” Bacon said. “They fall once, they cry, they want to leave. But they fall once or twice and they keep going, and then they’re so proud of themselves for keeping going.

“I think that’s really fun to see when they push through, and then they’re excited at the end that they did it, even if they fell a bunch.”

When is Rollarena Skating Center open in summer?

The roller rink is currently operating on its summer schedule, with different hours of operation during the school year.

Summer sessions include an afternoon session from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, plus these additional hours:

• Wednesday: 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Thursday: 8 to 10 p.m. for adults only
• Friday: 7:30 to 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Whichever session you attend, your entry will allow skating for the entire session.

How much does it cost to go roller skating in Richland?

General admission for each session is $11. This comes with the rental usage of traditional skates.

Upgrading to inline or speed skates is an additional $2.

Parents are welcome to assist children on the skating floor without needing to purchase skates. Alternatively, skate trainers are available for $3.

During the school year, the rink also offers a popular lesson program.

The Bacons also show people how to skate at every session, so new beginners don’t have to wait for the lesson program to get started.

“If people are nervous or have questions, we’re here to answer them every session,” Kelsey Bacon said. “We can give a lesson and get someone going.”

The rink offers birthday parties for $129, which includes eight skaters. An extra $12 is charged for each additional skater. Upgrades are available for the party, and booking includes a $50 non-refundable deposit.

Private parties are also offered for additional fees.