EVENT DETAILS
WHO: Community members, local skaters and supporters
Alexis Sablone, 2021 USA Olympic skateboarder and seven-time X Games
Medalist
Paul King, Carla King, Jamie Siwinski, Dave Derrick, Larry Linietsky and Alan Berkowitz of Skate Essex
Benjamin Anderson Bashein and Alec Beck of The Skatepark Project
WHAT: Formal ribbon cutting to mark the grand opening of Candy Courts Skatepark with
free skate lessons, contests, product give-aways, and music.
WHEN: Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM ET
Event + skate lessons begin at 10 AM, Ribbon cutting at 12 PM
WHERE: “Candy Courts” Skatepark at Rand Park
155 North Fullerton Ave. Montclair, NJ 07042
Montclair, NJ – Skate Essex Inc, the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization promoting skateboarding in Northern New Jersey, will hold an official ribbon cutting Sunday, March 26th for “Candy Courts,” a Montclair skatepark featuring seven unique, skateable sculptures designed by 2021 USA Olympic skateboarder and seven-time X Games Medalist Alexis Sablone. Sablone, an MIT and Barnard graduate, designed the sculptures to be functional pieces of art for skaters of various abilities.
“Candy Courts” has been extremely popular since it unofficially opened for public use earlier this year, but this weekend Skate Essex is inviting local community members to join them in marking its official grand opening. During Sunday’s celebration, designer Alexis Sablone, local skaters, and supporters will gather for an official ribbon cutting at noon with free skate lessons in the morning and contests, product giveaways, and music in the afternoon.
The skateable sculptures will be a destination for skaters of all ages from Montclair and the surrounding areas. Installed at Rand Park on North Fullerton Avenue, the unique skatepark represents phase two of a plan to create safe spaces for local skaters, with phase one being the designation of the Rand Park tennis courts for skateboarding. The skateable sculptures are the result of the combined efforts of local skaters and their families, the mayor and town council, and organizations like 5th Pocket Skateparks and Tony Hawk’s The Skatepark Project that helped fund and build the obstacles.
“We’re proud to partner with Skate Essex and TSP Ambassador Alexis Sablone to help bring more accessible outdoor recreation opportunities to the Montclair community,” said Benjamin Anderson Bashein, Executive Director of the Skatepark Project. “We’re looking forward to seeing the creative expressions of local skaters with this unique park, both as a skate space and an inspiration for other parks like it. Skateboarding is a beautiful way to bring people together and form close bonds within a community, and we’re excited to watch the sport grow in Montclair and Essex County.”
