ALICE MORENO
Astoria Park Carnival is back, marking the arrival of summer in New York City.
Running from June 4 to June 8 on the corner of Hoyt Avenue and 19th Street under the RFK bridge, the carnival featured a plethora of rides — from softer, slower rides, to fast-paced thrill rides — enjoyed by people of all ages.
This year, the carnival hosted two brand new rides: Zeus, a spinning ride inspired by the Greek God of thunder, and FlashDance, a ride that sends you into orbit, circling in different directions. The carnival also included a bevy of food and drink options, such as the classic carnival food items, funnel cake, cotton candy, and candy apples. A variety of games — such as balloon pop, basketball, and fishing — were also featured, in which one can win prizes from the tiniest stuffed animals to the largest.
Astoria Park Carnival is held by Dreamland Amusement and presented by the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition, which, according to the press release, is a “ not-for-profit community organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the neighborhood of Astoria.”
Witness the fun of the brightly lit, colorful carnival come to life through this photo essay.
The Dream Catcher uses a claw-like mechanism that spins in circles, taking carnival-goers upside-down.
The Rock Star is a classic carnival ride. The guitar-shaped ride goes round and round, even tilting a little down to add an extra element of thrill.
The Pharaoh’s Fury rocks back and forth over and over.
Carnival classics, such as the Zipper, the Ferris wheel, and a cotton candy stand, are featured in the park.
The Ferris wheel stands in display behind a cotton candy stand.
The Zipper is known as the most thrilling ride, as it goes in circles, flipping guests upside-down.
A view of the Astoria Park Carnival from the Ferris Wheel.
The carnival is located right under the RFK bridge.
One of the games presented at the carnival is “Liam’s Fishy Fishy.” Guests catch a fish, and depending on the color underneath it shows what kind of prize they get.
A basketball game is featured at the carnival. Many guests attempt to get the ball in the hoop in hopes of winning the prize: a banana toy.
The Zipper is shown behind the candy apple stand.
The Ferris wheel is the icon of the Astoria Park Carnival.
Many food options were offered at the park, including this fries stand.
