Collegedale hosts first-ever “Galentine’s Day” event
Roller disco held for local women, small businesses; inspired by "Parks and Recreation"
COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) — While Valentine’s Day is meant to celebrate the romance between couples, Galentine’s Day is meant to celebrate … well, the gals!
Monday night in Collegedale, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department kicked off its first-ever Galentine’s Day event — one they hope, or “Knope” with a ‘k,’ is the first of many.
In 2010, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation created “Galentine’s Day” — a day for the ladies to celebrate the ladies in their lives and the friendships they share.
13 years later, Knope inspired Collegedale’s Parks and Rec Department to host its first-ever Galentine’s Day Roller Disco.
“We’re always looking for new ways to bring different events and hit different populations in our community,” said Department Supervisor Christina Clark. “So, we were trying to think of things for our adult women — what can we do? It just popped.”
Clark says the unofficial holiday can be celebrated however one chooses.
In addition to skating, the night also featured a taco truck, karaoke, a photo station, and mocktails.
Emilie Bryant of Cleveland’s Appaloosa Moon says the event doesn’t just strengthen bonds with friends, but also with local businesses.
“I definitely love it,” Bryant said. “It exposes small businesses in the area, gives them a chance to connect with [the] community, whether they’re ten miles down the road or just right in your community with you. I think that it’s awesome to give small businesses a chance to shine.”
Clark says tickets for the night sold out before doors opened and hopes that in years to come, the event becomes both anticipated and annual.
She says it could potentially expand to see even more local businesses and more of the community’s girls in attendance enjoying February 13.
“I would like to make it larger, but I like our small town, kind of hometown feel here in Collegedale,” Clark said. “So, we don’t want to make it massive, but we want to give a chance for as many people to get involved as possible.”
Clark also said that Galentine’s Day is not something created to lessen the value of Valentine’s Day.
Like Tom and Donna once said, sometimes every once in a while, you just have to “treat yo’self.”
