Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Coney Island's Opening Weekend Kicks Off With Hot Dog Contest, Free Cyclone And Wonder Wheel Rides
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 22, 2013
Modified Mar 22, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Mar 22, 2013
Modified Mar 22, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Despite what that evil little weather icon on your phone says, spring is here, and with it comes Coney Island's grand reopening this Sunday. And this year's opening seems particularly significant, considering what a beating the area took during Hurricane Sandy; most of the rides have had to undergo extensive repair work after sustaining electrical and even structural damage in the storm. But the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone roller coaster and Scream Zone park are good to go, and they'll be up and running on Sunday—plus, a Luna Park spokeswoman tells us three new rides are coming this summer!
This weekend's festivities kick off on Saturday, with a hot-dog eating contest on the boardwalk sponsored by Nathan's Famous. The contest serves as a qualifying round for the real Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th; since the world can't get enough of watching people shove frankfurters down their throats, the contest will be going on national tour before heading back to Brooklyn.
The park's official opening day, though, is Sunday: Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will start things up with the annual egg-cream christening of the Cyclone, and, as usual, the first 100 patrons will get to ride the coaster for free. The Wonder Wheel will also be free on Sunday, so it might be wise to brave the 40-something degree weather if you're looking to do Coney on a budget.
Not everything will be open on Sunday—the New York Aquarium, for instance, will be closed through through late spring and Nathan's itself is shuttered until Memorial Day. And, sadly, Coney Island mainstay Cha Cha's will never open again. But there's still some exciting Luna Park news: we've been told the park will be getting three new rides sometime this summer, though details are still TBD. BYO barf bag, please.
Tagged
coney island
coney island usa
cyclone
hurricane sandy
marty markowitz
rides
wonder wheel
original
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .