Vans is planning a public block party to celebrate the reopening of its Skate Space 198 in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The community-first facility first opened in January 2020, before to the COVID outbreak, and is now returning with a three-day schedule of celebrations.
The brand will hold its official reopening party on October 1st, with ten hours of open skate for all New York-based boarders. Friends of the label, including John Cardiel, Ben Kadow, Rory Milanes, DeDe Lovelace, and Alex Dondero, will DJ the event, while Vans team members, including Beatrice Domond, Dick Rizzo, and Justin Henry, will make appearances.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase, with 20% of all proceeds benefiting the Vans Checkerboard Fund and Stoked Mentoring, both of which will help Skate Space 198’s winter programming. To round up the festivities, Alltimers Skateboards will premiere their latest video, You Deserve It.
The Block Party aims to bring in a new sanctuary for creative expression via the lens of shredders, celebrating the best of New York’s skate community with imprints like as Unity/There, Labor, KCDC, Alltimers, Bronze 56k, and more.
According to the company, the new location, which is inspired by vintage New York City skateparks and is designed with a blend of distinctive materials and textures, will feature a number of exciting activations throughout the year.
Vans Skate Space 198 is located at 198 Randolph Street in Brooklyn, New York. The block celebration will take place on October 1 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. For more information on the event, see the brand’s website.
