Winona skaters are about to get something the city hasn't had in 15 years: a place to ride for free. The new outdoor concrete skatepark at the West End Recreation Complex opens to the public on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m., following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 800 W. 5th Street.
The grand opening is being presented jointly by the City of Winona, Anthem Skatepark and the West End Recreation Complex Fundraising Team, according to winonaradio.com. The park is described as a free, outdoor, concrete facility, and as KTTC reports, attendees are encouraged to bring their own boards, scooters, bikes, helmets and other safety gear. Coca-Cola of Winona will provide free Coke and Powerade at the event, per the same report.
The project was paid for through a mix of state capital investment funding and private community fundraising, the station notes. A capital improvement appropriation from Minnesota's 2025 legislative session included $550,000 specifically earmarked for a Winona skatepark. Legislative text reviewed by the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes shows the grant was designated for site preparation and construction of a public multiuse street park for skateboarding, in-line skating, roller skating, BMX and scooter riding, along with site amenities.
Years of Local Fundraising Closed the Gap
On top of the state money, the West End Recreation Complex Fundraising Team raised $148,000 from local donors to help finish the project, the station's report states. That local push had been building for years. The Winona Post previously reported that Anthem had raised $113,000 after more than five years of fundraising for the outdoor park, with an additional $80,000 sought at the time for amenities such as bike racks, lighting, drinking fountains and shade covers.
Zach Krage, owner of Anthem Skate Shop and manager of the Winona Indoor Skatepark, has been one of the project's most visible advocates. “For the last 15 years in Winona, it's been pay-to-play,” Krage told the Winona Post, describing the lack of free recreation options in the city. Krage said Primary Concrete created the skatepark's design, and KTTC reports the Austin, Texas-based company designed and built the concrete skatepark.
Four Sections Built Into the Design
The Winona Post reported that the planned park was designed in four distinct sections: a skate plaza, mini ramps, a low-impact ramp section and a skateable sculpture. The finished facility is expected to add 12,500 square feet of skateable surfaces to the city, according to the same outlet. That scale reflects a state grant program that, per the Mesabi Tribune, has existed since 2020 but had never before been applied with this level of specificity to a single community project.
City officials have framed the park as a milestone for Winona's recreation system. Patrick Menton, director of Parks and Facilities, said the skatepark is a major addition to Winona's skate-and-ride community and park system, is free and open to everyone, and was made possible by the fundraising team, the skate community and local donors, according to KTTC. Krage added that the project elevates Winona's skate community, saying skaters can use the new space to discover lines, be creative and build community.
A Companion to the Existing Indoor Park
The new outdoor facility is designed to complement rather than replace Anthem's existing indoor skatepark, which the Winona Post notes has served as the city's primary skating venue in recent years. That indoor location keeps regular hours of 3:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the Winona Daily News. With the outdoor park opening free to the public, Winona will have an outdoor facility alongside its existing indoor park.
Those with questions about the grand opening can reach the City of Winona at 507-457-8258, KTTC reports. The ribbon-cutting and opening celebration are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the West End Recreation Complex.
