New Jersey Amusement Parks, Arcades Reopen Ahead Of July 4th Weekend Down The Shore
WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- Good news for thrill-seekers. Amusement parks in the Garden State are opening back up ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend.
The weather was perfect in Wildwood Thursday afternoon -- the temperature was just about right, there was a nice breeze and there were a lot of families out kicking off the holiday weekend.
All of the fun at the shore was delayed for months.
Arcades, water parks and amusement rides are back. A larger crowd is anticipated for the Fourth of July weekend, especially with the nice weather that's expected.
"I love it down here, it's amazing," Philadelphia resident Emma Donnelly said.
"Our beach is the biggest beach on the East Coast, I think. So you can socially distance and enjoy the ocean," said John Siciliano, Executive Director of Wildwoods Tourism Authority.
So whether you're enjoying the waves, riding down the boardwalk or getting tossed around, keep in mind, there's a 50% capacity for attractions.
"People come to the shore for July 4th, there's no question about it. And I think that folks have a sense of the limited operations hopefully that we have to start under and hopefully they'll pace themselves according to that. There's lots of time and room in the day," said Will Morey, with Morey's Piers.
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Some have been waiting to enjoy their yearly family tradition.
"This is our tradition with the monster trucks right and going on rides and we're just thankful that since he didn't get a full school year he can get this," parent Brian McLoughlin said.
Although there's still a limit on capacity, Morey's Piers wants to ensure the people that do show up have fun. About 75% of their rides will reopen within the next 10 days. Right now, about 30% of the rides are open.
