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Traveler: Kirkcaldy Links Market, Europe’s Largest Street Fair

Posted in Amusement ride, fair, Travel, video, tagged funfair, Kirkaldy Links Market, Scotland, Showmen's Guild of Scotland, street fair on April 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Taylors of Edinburgh Funfair at Kirkaldy Links Market, Europe’s Longest Street Fair

“For most of us it’s the start of the season,” says a showman in this 1983 video of Scotland’s Kirkcaldy Links Market, Europe’s largest street fair. This year’s fair opened on Wednesday and runs through April 21st. The nearly mile-long midway along the Esplanade in Kirkcaldy, Fife, has over 130 rides as well as sideshows, games and food stalls.

A trader’s market has been held annually on the Links of Abbotshall since 1304. Some of the showmen, estimated to number over 1,000, have played the fair for generations. If a spot opens up, the Showmen’s Guild of Scotland assigns the location.

April 13: Freebies Abound on Coney Island’s Opening Day

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, tagged Coney Island History Project, Coney Island USA, Coney Island's opening day, Cyclone, free, Noisefest, OPening Day, Rita's Italian Ice, Wonder Wheel on April 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island signage in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park with Luna Park’s Electro Spin, Air Race and Cyclone in background. March 21, 2014. Photo © Tricia Vita

Coney Island’s amusements officially open for the season in just one day–on Palm Sunday! Freebies abound at the People’s Playground for early birds who relish being among the first as well as for casual visitors all day long.

–The first 100 people on line at both the landmark Cyclone and Wonder Wheel will get a free ride. Rides open after the 11am Blessing of the Rides at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and the 11:45am Egg Cream Christening at the Cyclone. For the rest of the day, a ride on the Cyclone, which usually costs $9, will be discounted to $6. At Deno’s, over 200 Coney Island kids from the local Salt and Sea Mission will be treated to free rides, toys and Easter bags. In addition to face-painters and stiltwalkers, Ray Balloons will be on hand to make free balloon animals for visitors and DJ Joe will spin tunes on the Boardwalk.

face-painters, balloon artists, a DJ, and stilt-walkers

–The Coney Island History Project‘s exhibition center, where historic artifacts, photographs, maps, ephemera and films are on view, offers free admission from 1 till 6pm. Visitors are invited to take free souvenir photos with the Spook-A-Rama Cyclops or an original Steeplechase horse. Next door to the History Project are windows featuring the dancing doll “Miss Coney Island” and the miniature animated rides of “Coney Island Always.” “25 cents to laugh. 25 cents to smile.”

Coney Island Always. 25 cents To Laugh and Feel Good. West 12th St, Coney Island. April 8, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

–Coney Island USA’s Noisefest is a free event from 2 till 5pm featuring Rock ‘n’ Roll Karaoke with the band Mystical Children and a “Follow the Bouncing Ball Vintage Movie Singalong” by the Museum of Interesting Things.

—Rita’s Italian Ice is celebrating the Grand Opening of its Coney Island store by offering free regular size ices to visitors all day Sunday as well as Monday.

The rides at Luna Park, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, 12th Street Amusements and the Eldorado Bumper Cars will continue spinning daily through April 22nd during spring break for New York City’s public schools. For the rest of April and May, the rides will be open weekends until Memorial Day Weekend, when the daily schedule kicks off for the summer.

Photo of the Day: Chomping at the Bit for Coney Island’s Opening Day

Posted in Amusement ride, Photo of the Day, Photography, tagged Blessing of the Rides, Coney Island's opening day, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, Deno's Kiddie Park, Mangels, Pony Cart on March 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This freshly painted little pony from the classic Mangels Pony Cart at Deno’s Kiddie Park will soon be back on the ride’s platform. In the meantime, he appears to be chomping at the bit for Coney Island’s Opening Day. It’s only 15 days away! The Palm Sunday opener, featuring the Blessing of the Rides at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and the ceremonial Egg Cream Christening of the front car of the Cyclone, is April 13th.