If the rain has kept you away from The Coney Island BOOM A RING this summer, if you haven’t feasted on the smorgasbord of entertainment that Coney Island has to offer, why not consider these 10 must-do activities — but hurry: Labor Day is right around the corner.
1.Ride The Cyclone: For roller coaster fans, The Cyclone is the stuff of legend. It first thrilled riders in 1927 and was declared a New York City landmark in 1988. There’s nothing like it. Anywhere.
2. Eat a Nathan’s Hot Dog: You don’t have to eat 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes like Joey Chestnutt did on July 4, but you can’t feel much more American than when you’re eating a Nathan’s dog at Coney.
3. Visit the Coney Island History Project: This non-profit organization opened its new exhibition center in 2007 in a former souvenir store directly below the Cyclone. Admission is free.
4. Take a Skate In Dreamland: Strap on the roller skates and get ready to party! Lola Staar’s rink is a rollicking good time, with funk, soul, disco and old school skate music filling the salty sea air.
5. Ride the Wonder Wheel: Built in 1920, the 150-foot-high Wonder Wheel became an official New York City landmark in 1989. Ride it twice: once in a stationary car and once in a swinger%u2026if you dare.
6. Take a Dip: Coney Island’s beach stretches from West 37th Street at Seagate through Coney Island and Brighton Beach to Manhattan Beach, a distance of approximately two and a half miles. Surf’s up!
7.See a Brooklyn Cyclones Game: As of mid-August, the Mets farm team sat in first place in their division with a .632 winning percentage. Shea Stadium or Keyspan Park? You decide.
8. Visit the Sideshow: Coney Island USA presents Sideshows By the Seashore, the last place in the US where you can experience a traditional 10-in-one circus sideshow. Freaks! Wonders! Human curiosities!
9. Stroll the Boardwalk: “Coney Island’s Fifth Avenue” opened with great fanfare on May 15, 1923, and remains the quintessential boardwalk experience. There are 1.3 million boards along its 2.7-mile length.
10. Experience The Coney Island BOOM A RING: It’s the spectacular summer seaside circus everyone’s talking about. Performing ’til September 7 on the corner of Surf Avenue and West 21st Street. You can’t miss the tent%u2026and you shouldn’t miss the show.
Why not make a weekend out of it? You can save money, too: For example, your ticket stub to The Coney Island BOOM A RING gets you discounts at the Cyclone, the Wonder Wheel and Dreamland Roller Rink.
Experience all 10 activities and call yourself a Coney Island Decathlon Champion, because there’s nothing like Coney Island — America’s Playground — anywhere in the world%u2026except right here in New York.
For a complete schedule of performances and more information on The Coney Island BOOM A RING, including ticket sales, visit www.ringling.com/ConeyIsland, or call 1-800-745-3000. Group orders are available through “Group Sales Box Office” at 800-223-7565 or BestofBroadway.com.
