In roller skating, as in dangling from the edge of a cliff, it's important not to let a fear of falling make you miss an opportunity to hold someone's hand. Don't leave today’s Groupon hanging: for $45, you get a Star birthday party at Skate Heaven in Denham Springs (a $99 value).
Skate Heaven entertains families with an array of skating, arcading, laser tagging, and birthday-party hosting. The Star birthday-party package supplies 10 guests with skates or roller blades, three hours in a private party room, and unlimited rink revolutions beside a mural of the cosmos and the betrayed-looking dwarf planet Pluto ($6.50 for each additional guest). Partygoers are invited to furnish their own banquet or purchase a pitcher of soft drinks ($4) and 14-inch 10-slice pizzas ($12) when securing a reservation. Much like a traveling clown circus, the Star package arrives loaded with merriment but without a hostess and paper products. Those seeking alternative amusement may partake in the electronic stimulation of an arcade and laser-tag zone ($3.25/player) or may enjoy simpler pleasures on foam-padded floors and climbing structures in the play land.
Party sessions take place on Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday gatherings run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Skate Heaven
At Skate Heaven, wheels glide around a vibrantly decorated rink whose mural walls depict fiery planets, eggplant-purple clouds, and the star-studded blackness of space. This galactic arena sets the stage for guests to cruise around on traditional skates or rollerblades, racing furiously until someone runs out of petrol. In addition to skating, Skate Heaven entertains visitors with games of laser tag open to all ages and heights, making it ideal for octogenarian giraffes. As older siblings cavort around the rink or laser-tag arena, wee ones can tumble over bright cushions or crawl through transparent tubes in the soft play area.