Empty Midways

The day after Labor Day is the most dreaded day to amusement park fans across the country.  Today is the day that seasonal amusement parks go dark.  Daily operations ended yesterday for a lot of places.  Some of them ended their season on Sunday due to poor Labor Day weather conditions.

The Carousel at Knoebels stands empty and waiting
for weekend visitors.

On the other side, today is the day that the staff has a chance to take a huge sigh of relief.  The summer of ensuring guests had a great and safe time is over.  There is a bit of relief while they ready the park for weekend operations before the parks are transformed for Halloween and Christmas events.

Allow me to say thanks on behalf of amusement park lovers everywhere for offering us a safe and fun filled summer.  As a former amusement park employee I know the struggles you met throughout the season.  The irate guests you had to handle, the staffing issues that come with pre and post season, the emergencies and all the other stressful situations you had to deal with. We give a big thank you to

The world famous bumper cars at Knoebels.  Parked on the
side ready for some weekend visitors.

everyone involved in giving a great summer of memories.  All of your hard work was very much appreciated and we hope you have some time to recuperate before we do it all again Memorial Day weekend.

I had a chance to visit a few new parks this summer as well as some parks that I make a regular or semi-regular trek to.  Overall the staff I encountered throughout the season was enthusiastic and friendly.  The way it should be.  If you are an amusement park employee that loves your job and worked hard to ensure we all had fun, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back.

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