Summer Fun Has Nearly Begun as Playland’s Amusement Park Gears Up for Opening Day on Saturday, May 18, 2024, with Lively Programming All Season Long
Playland Pool and Beach will open Memorial Day weekend, with a special ceremony taking place Monday, May 27, 2024 at 12 pm, to salute our service members and the start of summer
Summer ferry service to launch from NYC, as well as summer flicks, fireworks, and fanfare among many programmatic seasonal highlights
Fun rides and the Long Island Sound’s tides are right around the corner at Playland, as the historic amusement park and premier waterfront destination will host a special ribbon cutting opening ceremony on Saturday morning, May 18, 2024 at 12 p.m. to celebrate the start of the summer season. Guests can enjoy a full season of entertainment, rides, beach going and more with the 2024 All Access Season Pass. The award-winning amusement park features over 50 rides and attractions including the iconic Dragon Coaster, which will turn 95-years-old this year, and the debut of Playland’s newest ride, Jack the Puppeteer. Other opening weekend festivities include a celebratory drum roll line up by the Lighting Drumline from the Barack Obama School for Social Justice in Yonkers, a special performance by an electric violinist, strolling entertainers, face painters, airbrush tattoo artists, and more.
On Sunday, May 19, 2024, Playland Park will also host a 2nd Annual Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk event by Soul Ryeders, a nonprofit cancer support organization based in Rye that provides personalized resources, innovative programs and community support to anyone in the New York Tri-State area who is impacted by any type of cancer. The event starts at 7:30 a.m. and finishes at 11 a.m. at Playland Park. The course will weave through the streets of Rye and Port Chester with the final breathtaking stretch along the Long Island Sound. To register, visit https://soulryeders.org/sr-race-info/.
“Since opening in 1928, Playland has been the destination of lifelong memories for generations of families and visitors across the greater New York region. Through our diverse offerings ranging from recreation to leisure, and thrilling entertainment, coupled with our new and robust arts and community programming this year, Playland is committed to not only growing and revitalizing the historic park but to introduce Playland to a new generation of visitors to create lasting memories and traditions for the next one hundred years,” said Evonne Keeler, CEO of Playland.
During Memorial Day weekend, Playland will also make a splash into summer with the opening of Playland Beach and Pool and a special ceremony on Monday, May 27, 2024, to honor military heroes. Festivities include special performances and the debut of The Playland Hometown Heroes Banner Program, featuring personalized banners that will be displayed along the waterfront through Veterans Day as a living tribute to those who serve and have served our country as guests simultaneously enjoy the panoramic views of Playland’s expansive 1.5-mile-long boardwalk. The evening will end with celebratory fireworks.
In addition, Playland is partnering with NY Waterway this year to launch a seasonal summer roundtrip ferry service from East 34th Street in Manhattan with a stop at 90th Street and Ferry Point Park in the Bronx with service to Playland on select dates, including Saturday, May 25; Saturday, June 22; Saturday, July 20; Saturday, August 17; and Saturday, August 31, 2024. Bundled ferry and park tickets are available for purchase at Playland.com.
Coming up this summer 2024 at Playland, additional news, celebrations, and events will take place throughout the season with highlights below. More details on each event will be announced as the individual dates near.
- Taking Center Stage are Stage Variety Shows (Sundays at 7pm, Starting on May 25) – Playland will host a series of live performances by a diverse range of nationally acclaimed, as well as local entertainers every Sunday at Playland’s Main Stage including a mentalist, yo-yo artist, a “Cowboy from the Bronx” for a high-energy Western variety act, hip hop juggler, and circus entertainers who juggle and eat fire and swallow swords, as well as kid-friendly shows for young audiences with magicians, musical and clown performances who have appeared in New York’s Big Apple Circus, and so much more.
- Celebrating Playland’s Waterfront with a Special Synchronized Swimming Performance (Saturday, June 22) – To celebrate Playland’s panoramic and picturesque waterfront and poolside experiences, Playland will host a synchronized swimmers show performed by The Aqualillies at Playland Pool where professional swimmers will dive, float, and glide like water ballet for all to see, which will be followed by a special performance of a swimmer dancing inside an 8-foot bubble at Playland lake.
- Outdoor Movie Nights Under the Stars on the Sound (Thursdays at 8pm, Starting on June 27 to August 20) – Every Thursday at 8 p.m. starting June 27, head over to Playland and enjoy a screening of family-favorite films. Movie nights in the amusement park are FREE for season pass holders. Otherwise, the cost is $10 per ticket, in addition to the park’s admission.
- Fantastic Fireworks (Saturdays at 9pm, Starting on June 29) – Sparks are flying on Saturday nights at Playland Beach! Every Saturday night at 9 p.m., guests can experience spectacular fireworks displays while strolling on the boardwalk or enjoying a picturesque evening along the Long Island Sound. There will also be holiday fireworks on Memorial Day and July 4th.
- ArtsWestchester Programs in the Park (Tuesdays at 2 p.m., Starting on July 9 to August 27) – Hosted by local arts and culture nonprofit ArtsWestchester, visitors are invited to a series of arts programs at Playland Park, every Tuesday at 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. More details will be announced on the programming in the coming weeks.
- The Year of the Dragon… Dragon Coaster Art Contest & Birthday Celebration July 20 and 21 – Playland is honoring the Dragon Coaster’s milestone by calling all local and community artists of all skill levels as part of the #PlaylandArt initiative to share their own creative impressions of the iconic and beloved Dragon Coaster. The submission deadline is June 15, 2024, and the winner will be announced on The Dragon Coaster’s 95th birthday celebration.
- Quack Quack! The World’s Largest Rubber Duck Makes Its ‘Grand’ Return (August 16, 17 & 18) – After making her debut at Playland Beach last summer, the 61-foot-high Mama Duck will once again splash onto the shores of the Long Island Sound from August 16 to August 18.
For more information about Playland including new events and initiatives, visit https://playland.com and follow Playland on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and LinkedIn.
