The summer season came to an unofficial close Labor Day Weekend as Coney Island celebrated its final fireworks show of the year.
The free fireworks display, hosted each Friday by the Alliance for Coney Island, wrapped up on Sept. 2 with a spectacular display of color over the People’s Playground.
According to Cindy Vourderis, events, marketing and public relations manager for the Alliance, the Friday Night Fireworks series runs for 10 weeks during the summer months and can be seen along the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk anywhere from West 10th Street to Stillwell Avenue
“It is definitely a fan favorite of the summer and something everyone looks forward to,” said Vourderis.
Coney Island’s amusement district suffered major hits during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, with shutdowns cutting off a stream of would-be summertime revenue and social distancing mandates limiting what money attractions were able to bring in when they finally reopened. After taking a break from activities during the pandemic (and facing looming “financial ruin”), the amusement district was able to bring back most of their summer events in 2021 — including the Friday night fireworks, which saw even more spectators this summer.
Adam Rinn, artistic director for Coney Island USA, said that while the general attendance numbers for summer 2022 were much higher than they were in 2021, patronage across the peninsula’s parks has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s great to see that things are really bouncing back,” he said. “I’m confident that ’23 will be a fantastic year for all of Coney Island.”
As Coney Island businesses continue to buoy themselves to the other side of the pandemic, Luna Park is looking to expand — with a slate of new rides on the horizon. In the meantime, city beaches remain open until Sept. 11.
