Playland’s Dragon Coaster Turns 95: Timeline of its Birthday Celebration

Rye Playland’s most famous ride, the Dragon Coaster, turns 95 years old in 2024, and the park is holding several celebratory events throughout the next two weekends as a result.

The roller coaster opened in 1929 and stands at 80 feet tall with 3400 feet of track. “The Dragon Coaster has been such a staple for generations of families, creating 95 years of thrilling memories that we wanted to recognize and celebrate this summer,” Evonne Keeler, CEO of Playland, said in a press release on July 11. “The Dragon Coaster is such an iconic part of Playland’s vibrant history… and we are excited to embrace that history with Playland’s dragon-themed festivities that will delight guests of all ages all weekend long.”

Below is a timeline for all the festivities from today, July 12, through the end of next weekend.

July 12-14, 19: Dragon craft station – young guests welcome to decorate individual art pieces, which will be combined together to form a dragon in preparation for the parades on July 20 and 21.

Saturday, July 20:

2:00, 3:00, and 4:00pm: Kiddyland shows featuring Peter Michael Martin
4:00pm: Dragon parade
7:00pm: Summer Sounds Concert Series (Jacknife Lori 90’s Alt Rock Hits) – Main Stage
8:45 and 9:00pm: Happy Birthday song and fireworks

Sunday, July 21:

1:00pm: Playland Art Dragon Contest winner announced
2:00pm: Summer Sounds Concert Series (Rock and Roll Playhouse) – Main Stage
3:00, 4:00, and 5:00pm: Kiddyland is one word shows featuring Ray Grins
3-4:00pm: Boat races
4:00pm: Dragon parade
4-5:00pm: Relay races
7:00pm: Main Stage Variety Show with AJ Silver

Besides the scheduled events, visitors can look out for dragon-themed face painting, air brush tattooing, aerialist performers, bubble carts, and more throughout the final two days of the festivities. The ferry will also operate on Saturday, June 20.