originally posted on 8/8/2020
Photo: Vanessa Thomas. View full-sized image.
In early March, just before the pandemic shut down life as we know it, the Mid-Atlantic was the last ACE region to hold an event: Mountainfest at Wisp Mountain Resort in western Maryland. About four and a half months later, the Mid-Atlantic welcomed ACE members to the eastern shore of Maryland for Oceanfest. In the late morning of Saturday, July 25, 2020, 14 ACE members and guests gathered at Trimper’s Rides and Amusements in Ocean City. They came from far and wide, not just from Maryland and nearby Virginia, but from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut and even California!
Sally Kneavel Foster, the marketing and special events coordinator for Trimper’s, greeted the group with excitement as well as a pizza lunch in an air-conditioned room above the Pirate’s Cove walk-through attraction. After lunch, she escorted attendees to the center of the Tidal Wave roller coaster, where the ride’s head mechanic talked to the group and answered questions about the coaster. Next, Foster took attendees to the park’s classic Herschell-Spillman carousel, which dates back to 1912, where she granted an opportunity, before the park opened, to take some group photos in front of and on the ride itself for National Carousel Day, which also happened to be that day.
Special Events Coordinator Sally Kneavel Foster welcomed attendees.
Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.
ACEers celebrated National Carousel Day.
Photo: Vanessa Thomas. View full-sized image.
Once the park opened, attendees took advantage of their wristbands at both Trimper’s and Jolly Roger to get in as many rides as they wished. At Trimper’s, the newest attraction was the Inlet Eye, a 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel that had just opened a few weeks earlier. At Jolly Roger, there was a new addition to the coaster lineup for anyone who hadn’t visited since the Mid-Atlantic’s post-Con event in 2018: a Flitzer that had previously resided at Jenkinson’s Beach Boardwalk in New Jersey debuted at the Ocean City park as Barracuda in 2019.
Barracuda was a relocated Flitzer, a surprise to some attendees.
Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.
Although not included in the Trimper’s wristband, the historic Haunted House, built in 1964 and designed by the legendary Bill Tracy, was an attraction not to be missed.
Oceanfest 2020 was a welcome opportunity to ride roller coasters, a classic carousel, and a new Ferris wheel, as well as possibly pick up new credits, enjoy some ocean scenery, and sample boardwalk treats. But more important to many attendees was being able to spend time catching up with old and new ACE friends from across the country after months of isolation filled with dreams of warm summer days just like this.
— Vanessa Thomas
ACE Mid-Atlantic Assistant Regional Representative
Barracuda was a relocated Flitzer, a surprise to some attendees.
Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.
@#$%&!
#ACENews