Parachute Performance Festival at Coney Island 9/12 & 9/13

The other weekend when I stopped in at the Coney Island History Project, I met Amanda Deutsch, the director of this new performance festival happening after hours at the Coney Island Aquarium. There are some interesting folks on the line up including actor John Ventimiglia (“Artie Bucco” from The Sopranos) reading Henry Miller’s words on Coney Island amongst others.

The festival aims to highlight the history of Coney Island, while simultaneously bringing people to discover what the present Coney Island has to offer. The goal is to create something new and create a bridge over the whole neighborhood—east and west. Festival-goers can come, spend the day, walk around Coney Island, eat lunch at a local restaurant, ride the Cyclone and enjoy a poetry reading.

And speaking of spending the day in Coney Island before the festival check out the Coney Island History Project located next to the Cyclone on Surf Avenue. It's a FREE fun museum and they are offering free downloads of a Coney Island walking tour for your ipod or phone! Click here to find out more.
>Free samples of Stumptown coffee will be available at the Coney Island History Project to get you caffeinated and ready to go....

Saturday – Hosted by visual artist and performer, Africasso.
Performers:
Cara Benson
Charles Denson, author of Coney Island: Lost and Found
Jibade Khalil Huffman, author of 19 Names for our Band
Dennis Nurkse, former Brooklyn Poet Laureate
Patricia Spears Jones
Edwin Torres

Sunday – Hosted by the illustrious burlesque dancer, Angie Pontani (Miss Cyclone)
Performers:
Edmund Berrigan, poet and member of the band, I Feel Tractor
Michael Cirelli, poet and founder of Urban Word NYC
Eileen Myles, poet, author, ran for president as a write-in candidate.
Akilah Oliver
John Ventimiglia (“Artie Bucco” from The Sopranos) reading Henry Miller’s words on Coney Island.

Where: New York Aquarium’s Alien Stingers exhibit (after hours)
When:Saturday, September 12th & Sunday, September 13th @ 6:30 p.m.

Surf Avenue at West 8th Street
By Subway:
F, Q to West 8th Street stop
F, Q, N, D to Stillwell Avenue stop

Celebrate the Cyclone's 82nd Birthday with the Coney Island History Project Friday!

Looks like we are FINALLY going to have a nice weekend so a trip out to Coney Island might be in order, particularly if you the rain kept you away from the Mermaid Parade last weekend.

The festivities start on Friday as it is the Cyclone Roller Coaster's 82nd Birthday and the Coney Island History Project is hosting a 1920's style dance with the "Cranky DJ" playing handcranked 78's on his Victrola!

Also! The first 100 people on line ride FREE!

From the Coney Island History Projects invite:

Free & Fun: Groove to Ragtime & Pop 78rpm Records Spun on Hand-Cranked Antique Phonographs by The Cranky DJ!

On Friday, June 26, from 11 am till 1 pm, the Coney Island History Project's exhibition center under the Cyclone will be open for a very special celebration: The Cyclone Roller Coaster's 82nd Birthday Party! The first rides of the historic coaster began on June 26, 1927. Over 80 years later, the Cyclone is still thrilling thousands of riders each year and is one of the city landmarks featured in CIHP's "Coney Island Icons" exhibition. On its 82nd birthday the first 100 people in line get to ride the Cyclone for free. The Cyclone Roller Coaster opens at 12 noon, but the line is expected to start early. Miss Cyclone Angie Pontani will be there to meet and greet visitors.

The History Project has invited Michael W. Haar aka "The Cranky DJ" to bring his 1923 Brunswick phonograph and a 1921 Victor Victrola to the party. Both are original talking machines powered entirely by manual hand-crank. No electricity whatsoever! Beginning at 11 am, Michael will spin original 78rpm dance and pop records dating from 1906-1929. "All the selections are sure to make you laugh, dance, and if you're not careful, steal your heart away," says Michael. Wear your dancing shoes and get ready to groove to fox-trots, waltzes, marches, one-steps, quartets and more!

The Coney Island History Project

New Coney Island Blog: Amusing the Zillion

Target, the Coney Island Arcade Cat.

Trish Vita, who describes herself as a "a former carny kid who casts an insider’s eye on the amusement business, Coney Island, and fun places in between" has started a new blog called Amusing the Zillion.

Read her current post telling the real story about why Thor Equities’ Festival by the Sea was cancelled last weekend. Trish spends her summer days working out at Coney Island either at the Coney Island History Project or at a game on Jone's Walk, so you are sure to get the scoop on what is REALLY going on at Coney Island.

Trish also points this out about the current (non) state of Thor's amusement Park that should of been open by now:

"Contrary to the misinformation given out to the media on Thursday by Thor’s pr tools that anywhere from “some” to “half” of the 25 promised rides were being set up at Thor’s “amusement park,” there wasn’t a single new ride set up by Saturday. The Brooklyn Paper, metro, and the NY Post dutifully reported what they were told by Thor’s pr about the rides being set up and it is ABSOLUTELY FALSE."

Go figure, Joe Sitt not tell the truth? Say it ain't so!!!

Any if you are a Coney fan or lover, check out Amusing the Zillion!



Amusing the Zillion

Coney Island Icons Opens This Weekend

Photo credit: © Charles Denson

Ever wondered what it was like to ride the Parachute Jump, or how the Wonder Wheel turns, or what drives the Cyclone's lift chain? This exhibit explains it all!

The Coney Island History Project's exhibition center opens for the 2009 season on May 23 with the new exhibition "Coney Island Icons: The Story Behind the Landmarks of the World's Playground."

Archival and contemporary photos, documents, anecdotes, interview, souvenirs and artifacts are used to tell the story of Coney Island's four city landmarks---The Cyclone Roller Coaster, Wonder Wheel, Parachute Jump and Childs Building. The exhibition is curated by Charles Denson, CIHP Executive Director, noted historian and the author of the award-winning book Coney Island: Lost and Found.

Visit the Coney Island History Project's Public exhibition center under the Cyclone Roller Coaster at:
824 Surf Avenue just east of W 10th Street.
FREE ADMISSION for One and ALL!
Open weekends from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.
Hours are 1 to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. Also open on Memorial Day and Labor Day, 1-6 p.m.

Back by popular request:
---Interactive Video Interview Booth lets visitors record their memories and impressions of Coney Island for our Oral History Archive and take home a free souvenir photo

---"The Astroland Archives Photography Exhibit: Back to the Future" along with new photos by Charles Denson and artifacts recently donated by Astroland's Albert family.

---"Souvenir Photographs from Sidewalk Photo Galleries," studio portraits of visitors frm the 1870s to the present!

---Take a souvenir photo withour authentic Steeplechase horse from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name!

---Among the treasures on display is Coney Island's oldest existing artifact, an 1823 Toll House sign from the days when the toll for a horse and rider to "the Island" was 9 cents!

---A rare circa 1920 Mangels Kiddie Whip car sporting its original paint. It was manufactured at the Mangels Factory on 8th Street in Coney Island by William Mangels, oneof the amusement indsutry pioneers honored in CIHP's Coney Island Hall of Fame.

Visit our website at to learn about our programs, listen to selected interviews at our online Oral History Archive and sign up for e-news about upcoming free events.

For additional info email info[AT]coneyislandhistory.org or phone 718-266-0012

First Ride of the Season on the Cyclone....

Opening weekend at Coney drew lots of people out with the great weather today. The Cyclone is all painted (and up to 8 bucks a ride!) and fresh. Sad to see Astroland closed and barricaded and the strip where Ruby's, Lola Starr, Shoot the Freak etc. all barracaded with "For Rent" signs, so stupid. What's open you ask? The kiddie park, the Wonder Wheel, The Cyclone, The area around the Wonder Wheel, Nathan's, Cha Cha's, the strip of food joints across the way from Nathan's & Cha Cha's and various businesses on Surf Ave. Coney Island USA was not open yet. A shame to see the crowds with such limited places to go to. The beach of course is there and F.I.B took a nice walk down to the Brighton Beach end, handball courts all full. The Coney Island History Project was open this weekend and will be opened regularly starting Memorial Day promising lots of new exhibits this season and it's always free!

*Photo taken with my camera phone...still camera-less!

Opening Events at Coney Island this Sunday!

Astroland may be gone but Coney Island keeps on keepin' on. This Sunday, April 5th is the Cyclone Rollercoaster's opening day and ALSO open house at the fab Coney Island History Project located in the shadow of the Cyclone on Surf Avenue.

As per the invite:
Palm Sunday is the traditional season opener for Coney Island's rides and attractions. The Coney Island History Project's public exhibition center under the Cyclone roller coaster will host an open house on Sunday, April 5th from 12-3 pm to celebrate Coney Island's and the Cyclone's opening day of the 2009 season.

You're invited to view historic artifacts, photographs, maps, ephemera and films of Coney Island's colorful past and preview selections from our 2009 exhibition season. Admission is free of charge.

Please stop by on April 5th and say hello to Charles Denson, CIHP executive director and author of Coney Island Lost and Found and Wild Ride: A Coney Island Roller Coaster Family; newly appointed "distinguished historian" Jimmy Prince of Major Market; staffers Amanda Deutch, Tricia Vita and Jeff Wilday; and special guests. Our guest of honor will be Brooklynite Howie Lipstein, who has ridden the Cyclone for 50 consecutive seasons and will be interviewed by Mr. Denson for the History Project's Oral History Archive.

The CIHP exhibition center will open for the 2009 season on Memorial Day Weekend with a new exhibition "Coney Island Icons." Located on Surf Avenue just east of West 10th Street, the center is open free of charge on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The centerpiece is an authentic Steeplechase horse from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name. Visitors are invited to record a video interview and take a free souvenir photo of their visit.

Click here for a lot more info about recent happenings at Coney Island. There is a call for home movies of the Cyclone, info about just where the Astroland rocket has landed and so much more.