Westchester County officials said they still haven’t finalized a plan for running Playland Park this season and they no longer have a firm opening date.
On Tuesday, Catherine Cioffi, the county’s communications director, told The Record that the county still intends to open the park this year. The park was originally scheduled to open on May 17.
“As we look ahead to the 2025 season, our intention is to open the park,” Cioffi said. “At this time, we are actively assessing the situation to ensure that when the gates do open, the experience is safe, enjoyable, and up to the high standards our residents expect and deserve.”
The growing uncertainty over the park’s opening looms large after the county’s tumultuous breakup with Standard Amusements — the for-profit partner that backed out of its agreement with the county to run the historic amusement park.
Standard announced in late January it would be exiting the 30-year contract after just three years.
In the winter, newly minted County Executive Ken Jenkins, a Democrat, and other county officials said emphatically that they would make sure Playland would open its gates this year.
“The only information that you need to understand (is) that it is a park, and we’re going to continue to make sure that it is open and available for our county residents as we go through this challenging and complex legal process,” Jenkins said in a January press briefing.
Then in February, Jenkins reiterated that position in a statement that “the county remains committed to ensuring a smooth transition of Playland’s management to county operations.”
There is, however, no longer an active website for Playland. A listing for the amusement park on the county’s government website simply states, “information coming soon.”
The county also held a job fair at the Westchester County Center on Saturday for positions at the Playland Beach and Pool, but did not include job opportunities for the amusement park.
Much of the speculation about when Playland will open and whether all the rides will be staffed has come from recent media reports. A lohud article this week presumed that the park may not open at all this year.
“There are a lot of rumors out there now about Playland and what will be happening this summer, but everyone needs to take a step back and let us finish assessing the situation,” Cioffi said. “Once we have a more definitive picture of what the upcoming season will look like, we will share that information publicly and transparently.”
