Today marks a mere 50 DAYS until Opening Day at Mariner's Pier, always a highly-anticipated happening and one of the highlights of Springtime in the Wildwoods!
This year's first rides will be extra special, as they will kick off Morey's Piers' 50th Anniversary Season, and a Summer filled with landmark events, celebrations, commemorations and (so we've been told) plenty of surprises.
While many of the big anniversary details remain under wraps, we can pass along some info about what's to come.
Here's what we know, with 50 days to go until 5-0...
"Watch the Runaway Tram, Please!"
As we learned late last year, the Runaway Tram family coaster is set to be the centerpiece addition of the big anniversary season!
The steel coaster will stand 40 feet tall and reach speeds of close to 30 mph while spanning a 922-foot-long track, nestled atop a newly-constructed base on the south side of Surfside Pier. It will feature a single train with 10 two-person cars.
The theme, of course, pays homage to the iconic Sightseer Tram Cars that have serviced generations of Boardwalk goers since 1949, and are synonymous with the Wildwoods (they will celebrate their 70th anniversary on the boards this summer).
The Runaway Tram will be bring the Morey's Piers' roster of coasters to seven, and will be the largest addition since the Great White was installed at Adventure Pier in 1996.
The Surfside Shuffle
In addition to the reconfiguration of the area of Surfside Pier where the Runaway Tram will soon take shape, seven rides had to moved to accommodate it's arrival.
The most notable is the Doo Wopper, the retro-themed, wild mouse-style coaster that had been a mainstay on the pier's south side. It has been moved to the north side, where it is nestled neatly between the Great Nor'Easter and an also-slightly adjusted Dante's Dungeon.
Needless to say, Surfside Pier is going to have a different look when re-opens this Spring. Part of the fun will be seeing some old favorites in new locations.
Going WILD for Woodstock - Celebrating 3 Days of Love & Music!
Morey's Piers was founded in 1969, which also happened to be the "Summer of Love" - so named for the Woodstock Music Festival that drew an estimated 400,000 revelers to a dairy farm in New York's Catskill Mountains.
Morey's Wildwoodstock Spring Festival will commemorate the 50th anniversary of both occasions, kicking off a "season of celebrations" with a three-day festival to be held at Mariner's Pier - May 3-5.
There will be lots of live entertainment, food and drinks, kids activities and more. Further details have yet to be announced, but we're anxiously awaiting more info on what is sure to be quite the party!
The "NXT" Evolution of Beach Sports
In January, Morey's Piers announced a partnership with Philadelphia-based NXTsports, one of the nation's premiere lacrosse event operators.
The result is the new Quiksand Beach Lacrosse Festival, a 5-on-5 event for boys, girls and adult teams set to hit the sand on Saturday, August 3.
Click HERE for more information.
The New Flavor of Summer
In honor of the 50th anniversary season, Dippin' Dots, one of the piers' longtime and most popular vendors, has created an exclusive flavor of it's "Ice Cream of the Future."
According to Morey's Piers, the treat "screams classic boardwalk with a salted caramel flavor that has pieces of pretzel bites mixed in." The name Sea Salt Caramel Piertzel was chosen from over 6,000 entries in a naming contest.
Morey's Piers seems to up its food game every season. Last year alone saw the debuts of PigDog Beach Bar + BQ, Wilhelm's Bier Garten and Founder's Pub, all at Mariner's Pier.
What other new creations and surprises are coming our way this Summer?
Stay tuned...
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