Saturday, May 29 – circle it on your calendars, write a note in your day planner, create a new all day event in your BlackBerry. It’s the start of Memorial Day Weekend 2010, which is shaping up to be Coney Island’s biggest opening day since Fred Trump demoed Steeplechase.
Yesterday, the Mayor’s office officially announced that the Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla – or more accurately, its park-operating affiliate, Central Amusements International – will bring 19 new rides to “Luna Park at Coney Island” this summer, with four more “Scream Zone” rides in 2011. The first 19 will include the international debut of the Air Race, and the Final Four will include two custom rollercoasters and a human slingshot.
Zamperla and CAI are known for giving their rides at Central Park’s Victorian Gardens a Victorian look. Judging by the renderings released yesterday, it looks like they plan to hold true to the original Luna Park.
Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun reported back to CIUSA’s message board that Zamperla will also “rehab and reopen the AstroTower,” and the Coney Island History Project’s Tricia reveals that the Wonder Wheel is being fitted with solar panels to power a recreation of the 1920s lighting scheme on the swinging cars.
Unless you’re Gene Kelly, please kindly refrain from any rain dances between now and then.
