August | 2012 | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for August, 2012

BK Festival Vendors Back in Business, Coney Zipline Isn’t

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, tagged BK Festival, Coney Island, Stillwell Avenue, vendors, zipline on August 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

BK Festival Vendors and Zipline, Stillwell Avenue West, Coney Island. August 18, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

On Saturday, the BK Festival vendors were happy to be back in business selling sunglasses, hats, dresses and what have you after a two-week hiatus caused by the construction of the Coney Island Zipline. The Stillwell Avenue lot where their tents are pitched was no longer a construction site because the zipline is built, though it did not open for the weekend.

Why not? A zipline crew member told ATZ one of the required permits had not been applied for and blamed the festival management. One of the vendors said the zipline would never open because Mayor Bloomberg had his own and didn’t want any competition! Was he referring to the free zipline at the City’s Summer Streets, which ended on August 18th? Does that mean another vendor’s prediction that Coney’s zipline would open next weekend is true? We probably should have asked Ana, the BK Festival’s resident psychic.

If you’re rarin’ to go ziplining in Coney Island, watch magicalthemepark’s video below of the ride being tested several days ago and wish you were there.

UPDATE September 12, 2012

Wow, will the long delayed Coney Island Zipline open this weekend?!?! Right now people are zipping across in test runs #BetterLateThanNever
— Amusing the Zillion (@AmusingZillion) September 12, 2012

Dance Video: Coney Island Dancers Street Festival

Posted in Coney Island, video, tagged Coney Island Dancers, dance party, dancing, festival, Jim McDonnell on August 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

The Coney Island Dancers, whose Boardwalk dance parties are legendary, had their annual street festival on Saturday. If you missed it, take a look at this video from Jim McDonnell of a solo dancer on West 10th Street. Every year, Jim makes a video titled Coney Island Dancing, so we have a feeling there’s more to come.

The second video by jrmojicannyc1 features a stellar troupe of guest performers’ tribute to Michael Jackson. The Coney Island Dancers outdoor house music dance parties continue through September.

Art of the Day: Steeplechase Funny Place by Bonnie Siracusa

Posted in amusement park, art, tagged Bonnie Siracusa, post office, Steeplechase Park on August 16, 2012| 9 Comments »

Steeplechase Mural by Bonnie Siracusa, Mermaid Avenue Post Office, Coney Island. Photo by AmusingtheZillion.com

When Coney Island’s amusement area had a U.S. Post Office on Surf Avenue in Steeplechase Park, visitors mailed hundreds of thousands of postcards from the World’s Playground. Steeplechase closed in 1964 but Coney Island’s post office on Mermaid Avenue at 28th Street is worth a trip. It’s a bit of a hike from the amusement area but the interior is decorated with murals of Steeplechase, the Funny Place by artist Bonnie Siracusa. The Human Roulette Wheel, Parachute Jump and Pavilion of Fun are among the subjects along with the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone.