Tickets: $15 general / $10 for Members of The City Reliquary
On Saturday, July 14th, in conjunction with the museum’s special exhibit, Empire Skate: The Birthplace of Roller Disco, Brooklyn’s world famous Empire Rollerdrome is brought to life for one night only. Against the backdrop of Williamsburg’s famed Giglio Feast, The City Reliquary presents a pop up roller disco in the gymnasium of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In a rare New York appearance, Bill Butler will bring magic to the floor. Widely known as the “Godfather of Roller Disco”, Bill Butler is a living legend of roller skating. He revolutionized roller skating in New York, shaped its development as a sport and art-form across the country, and continues to inspire and train skaters today from his home near Atlanta, Georgia.
DJ Big Bob, one of Empire’s regular DJs for more than twenty years, will be spinning the classic skate sounds of disco, early R&B, club music, hip hop, and funk. DJ Dirtyfinger will introduce the night with a special blend of grooves ready for the rink.
Skate rentals in all adult sizes will be available for $10 courtesy of The RollerWave NYC, an organization created to introduce a younger generation to skate culture through pop-up roller skating experiences.
Empire closed its doors in 2007 after more than sixty years of skating. The “miracle maple” may be gone, but Empire’s legacy lives on in the people who come together, lace up their skates, and keep rolling.
