BY ROSE ADAMS
Coney Island is ringing in
the holiday season with a festive
light display along Mermaid
Avenue, which local
leaders unveiled at a small
ceremony on Dec. 8.
“Bringing the holiday
spirit to Mermaid Avenue and
seeing the joy it can spread is
much needed this year,” said
Alexandra Silversmith, the
executive director of the local
business group the Alliance
for Coney Island.
The lights, which stretch
from Stillwell Avenue to W.
33rd Street, aim to bring some
reprieve to the People’s Playground,
which has suffered
an economic blow after the
amusement park remained
closed all summer because of
COVID-19.
The Zamperla family,
which operates Luna Park,
told Brooklyn Paper that the
park’s future could be in serious
danger if it doesn’t receive
some economic relief.
“The fi nancial situation of
our company is extremely in
danger,” Alessandro Zamperla
told Brooklyn Paper in October.
Meanwhile, the owners
of Deno’s Wonder Wheel —
which celebrated its 100th
birthday this year — say they
paid a hefty price for safety
improvements to open safely
this summer. But even after
indoor amusements such as
bowling alleys and museums
COURIER L 10 IFE, DECEMBER 11-17, 2020
The light display will stretch from Stillwell Avenue to W. 33rd Street. Photo by Erica Price
were allowed to open, Cuomo
kept outdoor amusements
closed.
“The way the Wheel was
designed and built 102 years
ago during the last pandemic,
it was designed to be socially
distant,” said Dennis Vourderis
in September. “The cars
are 50 feet apart, the people
that ride in each one of the
vehicles are with their own
group, their own family.”
Though the holiday lights
can’t fi x the neighborhood’s
woes, local offi cials hope they
can bring some joy to the
downtrodden residents.
“Our community has seen
some of the worst effects of
COVID-19 and is faced with unprecedented
challenges to recover,
so these lights provide a
semblance of hope and celebration
as we look forward to the
new year,” said Silversmith.
A handful of local pols and
community organizers — including
Community Board 13
leaders, District Leader Dionne
Brown, and Coney Island
USA director Dick Zigun
— gathered for a small ceremony
celebrating the lights’
debut on Dec. 8.
Councilman Mark Treyger,
who funded the display,
said he hopes the lights will
signal a happier 2021.
“While this year’s celebrations
will be different, the decorative
lights in Coney Island
will offer holiday cheer and
promise for a brighter new
year,” he said in a statement.
SEASON’S
GREETINGS
Mermaid Avenue comes alive
with holiday light display
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