Scenes from Coney Island’s frigid (but fun) 2024 opening day 

By Scott Lynch

It may not have felt like spring out there on the historic Coney Island boardwalk on Sunday — it was colder out than both of the last two New Year’s Day Polar Bear plunges — but the amusement parks’s opening day ceremonies went on nonetheless. Politicians, local dignitaries and a scattering of thrill-seekers gathered for the Blessing of the Rides at Deno’s Wonder Wheel and the Egg Cream Christening of the Cyclone.

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso did the honors at the Cyclone, shattering the bottle of chocolate egg cream on his first swing. Reynoso, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Luna Park owner Alessandro Zamperla and other VIPs then climbed into the legendary rollercoaster, posed for a few photos and … got up and exited without taking a ride: The Cyclone apparently can’t run in temperatures under 40 degrees, so the season’s first run of the 97-year-old coaster ride didn’t happen for another hour and a half, after the sun had warmed things up a bit.

The first Cyclone riders went off about 90 minutes after the scheduled opening due to the cold (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Still, the vibes were good, with the Brooklyn United drumline having a serenading the street, stilt walkers and mimes goofing with the kids, and the Brooklyn Seltzer Boys mixing up free egg creams for all comers.

Who doesn’t love a mime (Photo by Scott Lynch)

“Folks from all over the world come to Coney Island for the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone,” Reynoso told Brooklyn Magazine. “It’s a big part of Brooklyn’s history, of its identity and of my own childhood. How many times after school, and maybe sometimes when I should have been in school, did I take the F train to Coney to hang out with my friends? How many times did I bike here all the way down from Williamsburg? A lot.”

Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso christens the Cyclone with a chocolate egg cream (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Over at Deno’s Wonder Wheel there were no such weather restrictions, and, after the ribbon cutting and ride blessing, the first 104 guests got a free ride on the 104-year-old ferris wheel.

In it two win it (Photo by Scott Lynch)

In general, though, crowds were sparse throughout Deno’s and Luna Park, which these days sprawls for six blocks along the boardwalk.

Crowds were sparse, but thrills were manifold (Photo by Scott Lynch)

One of those who would not be denied was Ryan Lynch, who came all the way from Washington D.C. with his mom for the occasion.

“I’m here for the Cyclone,” he told us. “I was just in a musical called Ride the Cyclone. It’s about six teenagers that die on a roller coaster called the Cyclone. I hope I don’t die. It’s my first time riding it, and I hate wooden roller coasters. But I wanted to get cool pictures for Instagram.”

When I saw young Ryan a couple of hours later, as I was leaving the park, he had ridden the coaster three times, lived to tell the tale and loved it.

Deno’s Wonder Wheel (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Luna Park, the Cyclone and Deno’s Wonder Wheel are now open for the season on weekends and during the public school spring break at the end of April until Memorial Day, and then daily through the summer.