Thurmont Skatepark Anniversary

By Kirsten Dugan

Though the Thurmont Skatepark had its official grand opening last November, the excitement and progress have continued over this past year. What began as a group of teens wanting a place to skate in town, has become a great asset to Thurmont and an attraction for families, teens and adults, often enjoying the park together. Along with about a dozen other skaters, Cooper, 13, came to skate after school. He praised the Thurmont Skatepark saying, “I love it. It’s nice and smooth. It’s very open. I love to skate it.”

A typical crowd at the skatepark covers a wide range of ages, from young kids learning to skate to adults who have been skating since their own teenage years. Christopher Shewbrigde brings his family to the park regularly and explained, “the bond that skateboarding has created within our family is something like no other, and Thurmont Skatepark is one of our favorite places to do what we love most.” Enthusiasm from the community has also continued. Short winter days made it difficult for skaters to get much time at the park after school or work before it got too dark to skate safely.

In April, G&S Electric generously donated and installed lights on poles that had been donated by Winsupply. With the lighting in place, the skatepark became a great evening attraction as well and is now open until 10pm each night.

These longer hours have also helped the skatepark become a destination for people outside of Thurmont looking for a place to skate. Many skaters drive into town just for the skatepark, with one recently mentioning that he had never heard of Thumont before the skatepark was built. Ben Sturn of Mt. Airy declared, “Best skatepark in Maryland. People from all over come here.”

The next improvement soon followed as the Town of Thurmont built a covered pavilion over the picnic tables. This shady spot is perfect for skaters taking a break or parents watching their kids enjoy the skatepark. Benches donated by Catoctin Colorfest provide another great spot to view the park from above. A final piece of the park came together in July with the completion of a paved pathway connecting the skatepark to the East End Playground on one side and the Main Street sidewalk on the other. Now, folks can walk, bike, skate or push a stroller right up to the skatepark. It invites people who may not have come by before to walk up and take a look. When they do, they will find a wide mix of people there to skate and enjoy the positive energy generated by community coming together.