LaRose’s Roller Skating Rink celebrated its 99th anniversary in quiet fashion on May 31, with a gathering of family, friends and staff at the famed rink along Route 209 just outside of Lehighton.

It is one of the only, if not the only, business in the area to survive 99 years owned by the same family.

LaRose’s Roller Skating got its start in 1926. John and Sallie LaRose used to own a grocery store in the part of Weissport known locally as Rickertsville. Sallie ran the store, and John was a butcher. It was in 1924 when they purchased the property where the rink stands.

In the 1920s, the LaRoses later built a gas station at the site.

“We were the first ones with a gas station on the highway (Route 209),” the late Morris LaRose said in a 1987 interview. “They had just built this road (Route 209) here at the time.”

In 1926, John and Sallie decided to open a roller skating rink on the property, and it has remained in the LaRose’s family ever since.

A member of the family, Victor Solt, actually built the rink and the homestead next door.

The LaRoses even owned a bus and used to pick up skaters as far away as Tamaqua, Lansford and Coaldale. The family believes that was one of the reasons the rink flourished, despite the other rinks from the area going out of business. There was one in Kresgeville, one in Palmerton, one in Graverville and there were two built in Jim Thorpe. None of those has survived.

Marian (LaRose) May, the last remaining member of the third LaRose generation, was at the anniversary gathering and said she used to help her dad in the refreshment stand.

“They told me that I was roller skating before I was able to walk,” Marian said. “I have no idea, I don’t remember that. I was born into the business, and we roller skated every night that there was skating.”

Franklin Frable is the only remaining member of the second generation of the family, a brother to the late Grace LaRose, married to Morris LaRose. Frable will be 99 years old in August; but was not able to attend the anniversary.

Roy and Brenda Artz have owned the rink since 1992. Brenda is the fourth generation of the LaRose family to operate the business.

“Roy has really done a lot of the work here,” Brenda pointed out. “He’s been the backbone of the business. But, it’s time for us to step aside and let the fifth generation of the family take over.”

This fall, Joshua Eckhart, who is in the fifth generation of the family, will take over as manager.

“I’ve been here a long time,” Eckhart said. “I’ve skated here my whole life. My mom is going to help out, and the staff will continue to be here as well.”

Eckhart plans to reintroduce public skating at the rink; it’s mostly just been private skating parties lately. He also plans to revitalize the land across Route 209 from the rink, putting in a pavilion and making it family-friendly, as it used to be.

Eckhart is already making plans for the 100th anniversary in 2026.

“We will do something nice for the 100th anniversary. A car show, with very old cars only, a band, a DJ, something like that.”

The car show that he is hoping to hold will feature only cars from the 1920s era, when the rink was built.

One thing is certain: The future of LaRose’s Roller Skating Rink is secure, and will continue long into the future with the LaRose family to keep it going.