-David Hessekiel contributed to this report
Playland will open its doors to patrons on Memorial Day Weekend, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced on Wednesday.
But whether its rides will be operational then is another story.
Jenkins, a Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that he didn’t know. The county, he said, is working with the state Department of Labor to determine the status of each ride, while addressing the “damage left behind” by former park operator Standard Amusements LLC.
The labor department has the final say on whether to certify the safety of the rides, Westchester officials said.
Meanwhile, the county plans to offer free admission for the holiday weekend and a reduced parking rate of $10.
“As we work through this 2025 season, Playland will be totally free Memorial Day weekend for people to enjoy,” Jenkins said. “We all love Playland — it’s part of all of us — and we need it to be a part of our summer.”
Wednesday’s announcement came after the county declared an “emergency” on May 1 that allowed it to fast-track a contract with Zamperla, Inc., to inspect, repair, and maintain rides at the historic waterfront park.
By Friday, a crew from Zamperla, an Italian ride operator that manages thousands of rides worldwide, including those at Coney Island’s Luna Park, was on site at Playland inspecting more than a dozen rides.
The emergency declaration, county officials said, allowed the contract with Zamperla to be signed without a bidding process. Having an operator do that work was needed, the declaration stated, “in order to open the iconic Playland Amusement Park for a portion of the 2025 operating season.”
It is unclear how much Zamperla is being paid.
The county has yet to hire the large seasonal staff traditionally brought on to operate the waterfront park, but Westchester officials on Monday announced upcoming job fairs on May 10, May 17, and June 7 for ride operators, ride attendants, park management, cashiers, and custodial workers.
Westchester, which owns Playland, has been hard-pressed to develop a plan to open the landmark Rye-based amusement park since February, when private operator Standard Amusements terminated its contract with the county to manage the park just three years into a 30-year agreement.
The county and Standard are scheduled to enter arbitration in August to settle issues related to their dispute. Standard is seeking $57 million in damages.
