Good times roll at downtown Raleigh pop-up roller skating event

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Lights, music and happy people on roller skates added up to good times inside the Raleigh Convention Center on Saturday. A pop-up skating rink brought dozens of people to downtown Raleigh, including Kim Yelton and her family.

They drove from Clayton, she told ABC11: "My husband found the tickets, and we were like yes, we've got to do it."

Her girls shared her enthusiasm for the opportunity to socialize safely outside their home.

Giacia Yelton said, "I've been skating at my house, outside and everywhere. I've been teaching my friends how to skate."

Kim Yelton smiled behind her mask.

"It is wonderful, except when I fell," she said. "That was not so fun. But it is great. Fantastic."

Her older daughter, Layna Yelton, had a few spills Saturday, too.

"Well, I've fallen seven times, which is my new record for not falling," Layna said. "Because I'm not that good at skating, to be honest. I fall a lot, but I'm finally getting the hang of it."

Mako Medical sponsored the pop-up event, as a partner with Shop Local Raleigh. Organizers hope it brings more people back to downtown Raleigh to mingle safely, with masks. There are signs warning people that they skate at their own risk, and that list activities that are not allowed while skating.

What if you're tempted to roller skate, but haven't done it in years?

"Just do it," Kim Yelton said. "If you fall, get back up and keep on going. "It's fun."

More pop-up events are a possibility, said Jennifer Martin of Shop Local Raleigh.

"If people keep coming down, that's the idea," Martin said. "It shows that we can do this and there's a desire for this to happen."

Watch your ABC11 North Carolina streaming and mobile apps for updates about the next pop-up roller skating location in Raleigh.