Elaine Parker, the longtime owner and operator of Skateland Rollersport at 1700 West Main St., west of Fairfield will retire at the close of business Saturday, ending a 58-year run that began when she purchased the skating rink on March 1, 1968.
WFIW spoke with Elaine last night, who is 88 years old and she confirmed her plans to retire. Looking back on decades of serving the Fairfield area, she said she has “loved it all.”
Parker reflected on Skateland’s history across three locations. She first rented space across from Maple Hill Cemetery in a building owned by Loy Harper, where Bullard’s Farm Market & Bakery is now located. After four years, the business moved into the former Parker Lumber Company building when it became available following the owner’s death. The closed lumber yard property was remodeled into a skating venue, including a beginners’ floor for young skaters, and Skateland operated there for about 10 years.
By 1980, she said the rink was “exploding at the seams,” prompting a move to a permanent site with more room and safer parking away from heavy traffic. That summer, Parker purchased 1.9 acres from Emmitt Hoffee and built the current facility. The new rink opened in December 1980 in a 13,000-square-foot steel building under the name Singing Wheels Skateland, a name chosen by her mother, Bea Parker. The current location has now served the community for more than 40 years, with Parker noting the rink is welcoming its third generation of families.
Parker said her retirement plans are simple: “just take it easy,” while staying active and involved. She emphasized she is not “retiring from life” and plans to remain in Fairfield near her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She said she looks forward to “enjoying life” and “serving the Lord.”
Over the decades, Skateland has been a gathering place for area families, offering a clean, safe environment for fun and fitness. “Skating has great health benefits and I feel we have all benefitted from that,” Parker said. “It has brought joy to my life to be able to stay in this community with people like those who live in Wayne County and beyond all these years.”