The Annual Texas Blueberry Festival in Nacagodoches is in its 25th year. To celebrate this remarkable milestone, the whole city, including Skate-O-Rama, is participating in 25 days of Blueberries. Counting down 25 days until the Blueberry Festival on June 13th and 14th, different businesses throughout Nacogdoches are hosting special events and deals in honor of the Blueberry Festival, and Skate-O-Rama’s days are Saturday and Sunday, May 31st and June 1st.

We’ll be hosting one big party that weekend full of wonderful prizes, games and discounts. Every paid admission gets the opportunity to spin the wheel and win prizes – every spin wins. You can also enter to win a new pair of skates, a $100 value. We will actually be giving away two pairs, one for a boy and one for a girl, and you do not need to be present to win.  Parents can enter to win birthday party packages, an $80 value, and family fun packs, a $50 value, but you do need to be present in order to win these packages.

Be sure to like our Facebook page before you come see us, so that you can print a coupon to give you a discount on admission. One coupon can discount up to four admissions! We are so excited to be a part of the Blueberry Festival celebration, and we hope that you enjoy our festivities, too.

When planning a birthday party, it can be challenging to keep the costs at a minimum. From the invitations to the cake and party favors, we’d love to share a few tips to help you plan a spectacular birthday party without going over your budget.

• Make your own invitations. There are so many different templates available online that you can use, or just type something on Word and add a few photos. This may be a little more time consuming, but you can create a fantastic, custom invitation with little money spent.
• Bake your own cake or cupcakes. This could easily be one of the best ways to save money on a birthday party. Bakeries charge $40 or more for a birthday cake, but you can make cupcakes from scratch or a box and decorate them as you wish. There are so many ideas on Pinterest for beautifully decorated cakes at home, or you can make it an activity for the kids and have them decorate their own cupcake.
• Host the party at a time of the day that is not close to lunch or dinner, then you only need to provide some snacks and not invest in a full meal.
• Create games and other entertainment using things you already have. A scavenger hunt is always a great idea and very popular with the kids. You can also create an obstacle course, have the kids do some kind of craft project and show the movie of the party’s theme.

Of course one great way to host a party on a budget and not spend a bunch of time with DIY invitations, entertainment and party favors is to have a roller skating party at Skate Ranch or Skate O Rama. Our birthday party packages are as low as $70 – the lowest of any other party venue around – and they include snacks, invitations and entertainment. One thing that our party packages do not include is a huge mess that you have to clean up. Instead, you get to pack up all the presents and leave the mess with us!

Whatever you choose, we hope your kid’s birthday party is spectacular!

We are getting ever so close to the end of the school year, and we know that the kids are getting antsy. What is the best way to help them burn off all the excited energy they have these days? Bring them to Skate Ranch, of course! In addition to our regular roller skating sessions, we have two fun events coming up these final weeks in May.

Friday, May 23 – Usually our Homeschool Skates are held on the last Friday of every month, but May’s event is on the 23rd – the second to last Friday. We open in the afternoon to give homeschoolers the opportunity to take a field trip to the roller rink. Not only do the students get to meet other homeschool kids, but the parents get the chance to network with other parents of homeschoolers. We are open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is only $3 or you could use your Kids Skate Free passes for free admission.

Friday, May 30 – We are hosting a huge end of the school year party from 7 p.m. to midnight. This is not your ordinary late skate. We will be having two guest DJ’s, Dj Lil Ke and Dj Krisco G, and they will be playing music to keep you pumped all night long. This is a glow party, so we’ll be turning on the black lights and the entire roller rink will resemble a glowing neon sign. We’ll have games, prizes and activities – it’s a party you don’t want to miss. Admission is $12.

Remember that May 30th is also the start of our new summer hours and our summer passes. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our upcoming events or our East Texas roller rink.

We are so excited to be showing our support for the Nacogdoches Independent School District next week. If you are in the mood for a great time that benefits a great cause, come to our East Texas roller rink on Thursday for an amazing fundraiser, and then visit us on Saturday at the 1st Annual Summer Spectacular.

McMichaels Dance Team

There is hardly a better fundraiser than one that supports the kids in our community. Join us on Thursday, May 15, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. to help raise money for the McMichaels Middle School dance team. Admission is only $5 and that includes regular skate rental.

1st Annual Summer Spectacular

It may not be summer yet, but we are close, and we are honored to be a part of the first Annual Summer Spectacular. This inaugural event will be hosted by the Nacogdoches ISD Parent Resource Center on Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Parent Resource Center (609 Mound St., next to TJR Academy of Fine Arts). We’ll be on hand to answer all of your questions about our summer hours, summer passes and give you more information about birthday parties, skate rentals and more. In addition, there will be outdoor games, face painting, refreshments and lots of fun at the Summer Spectacular. It’s also an educational opportunity for parents, where you can:

• Learn about summer programs for children
• Check out community services available for families
• Find out how children 18 and younger can get free meals this summer
• Learn cures for the “I am bored!” child

As a Nacogdoches family fun center, we feel it is extremely important to be an active part of the local community. We are honored to help you host an amazing fundraiser for your organization or offer our support in any way we can. So, come help us raise money for the McMichael’s Dance Team next Thursday and then visit us on Saturday at the Summer Spectacular.

Big things are happening at Skate Ranch here in Lufkin, TX and Skate-O-Rama in Nacogdoches, TX. As you can see, we have launched a brand new website and blog, and we thank you for visiting. This new site gives you, our customers, more options and information. Not only do we have the schedules of both our Texas roller skating rinks and their calendars, but we have all of the information you need to know about hosting a party. Even better, you can now book your parties online.

This new phase at Skate Ranch and Skate-O-Rama is really about making things as easy for you as possible, and making all the information you need easily accessible. For that reason, this website and blog are not our only home on the Internet. You can find us on Facebook , Twitter and Google +, and we encourage you to follow us on these social networking sites for instant information and updates.

So, please feel free to contact us in whichever method you feel most comfortable – phone, email, Facebook, Twitter or G+, and keep checking back here at our blog for detailed information about upcoming events and industry news.

Thanks!