WHITEFISH — During the day — once Whitefish Lake freezes over — it's a perfect place for ice fishing and cross-country skiing. But on Sunday nights, it turns into a disco ice-skating rink.
With disco lights, music and a giant ice-skating area, the free disco skate is the place to be in Whitefish on Sunday nights. It's all made possible by Gabriel Layton of Whitefish.
“I just love to skate. And I know other people do too. So if I don't do it, I don't know who else is going to do it. And so I just did it,” said Layton.
On top of his regular job, Layton spends anywhere from 20 to 30 hours a week clearing snow and making sure the rink is ready to go on Sunday nights.
The Whitefish Disco Skate — which is in its second year — stemmed from Layton’s love of skating and not spending enough time on the ice.
“So I just was working a lot of hours I just not making enough me time and needed to have me time and do what I love,” said Layton.
The skate is open to anyone in Whitefish, you just have to bring your own skates.
The event brings people of all ages together to enjoy Montana’s winter activities — even when the indoor rink isn’t open for free skate.
“Really fun. Yeah. Very awesome. Because we can ice skate. The other ice rink isn’t always open,” said Ace and Max Hayes.
Layton got the idea from a similar skating area in Toronto and brought his love of music and skating to Whitefish.
It's all ideas and thoughts and things in your head and you can bring them to life. It's just an idea in my head that I brought to life,” said Layton.
You can join in on the Whitefish Disco Skate at City Beach in Whitefish Sunday night starting at 5 p.m.
Check out Whitefish Disco Skate on Instagram in case of cancellation due to inclement weather.
