PARKLIFE In 2010 another family attraction, the Free Fall ‘N drop Another key feature at Quassy are the 50 cent nights on
Fridays, a non-advertised event when the park’s rides are just 50 cents each. “Everyone knows Fridays are 50 cent nights at Quassy,”
explains John Frantzis, now patriarch of the family business his father purchased over 70 years ago. Hot dogs and small sodas are also 50 cents during the Friday special and up to 4,000 hot dogs will be served on a busy Friday night in July and August. Its treasured past is clearly a vital aspect of the park,
but while preserving this, Quassy has also kept up with the times by mixing the old with the new. A section of the lower parking lot close to the lake has been transformed into a new development for the venue in recent years with the addition of
larger rides such as the Chance Music Fest, Hrubetz
Paratrooper and bumper cars. And it hasn’t stopped there. As other parks in the region began to add water attractions
a number of years ago, Quassy quietly continued along the path it had forged for itself as an iron ride park. However, the customer base it had drawn upon for decades was starting to move to facilities offering the latest in water attractions, meaning Quassy lost out on hot summer days. “Our beach used to be packed and it got to the point
where fewer and fewer people were coming to the lake to swim,” says John Frantzis. With younger members of the family stepping into key
management positions, the owners decided in 2003 that it was time to ‘take the plunge’ by building a new water attraction. In the spring of that year, Quassy introduced Saturation Station, the first interactive family water play area of
its type in the world. With cascading fountains,
water cannons, waterslides and a huge tipping bucket as
its centrepiece, the multi-tiered attraction was an
overnight success. “I believe it saved the park,” comments Frantzis. Following
the success of Saturation Station, Quassy has since added two gigantic Tunnel Twister waterslides, which opened in 2006. Nowadays, as the temperatures rise during July and August, so do attendance figures at Quassy’s
lakefront
attractions, proving that the park’s largest ever investment was the right decision and direction to take, while in more recent years, yet further investment has been made in other major attractions.
30 InterPark July–August 2012
tower was added, while a year later the Wooden Warrior roller coaster made its debut. Designed by The Gravity Group, it uses the Timberliner train from sister company Gravitykraft and was the first coaster in the country to do so. “Wooden Warrior has taken us to the next level,” noted
Quassy President Eric Anderson, who is John Frantzis’ son- in-law. “We’ve hosted coaster and park enthusiasts from around the world since it opened.” For 2012, the park’s 104th season, a new Tea Cup
ride from Italian manufacturer Zamperla was introduced, featuring six family sized cups with individually controlled spinning action, all revolving on a rotating platform. This latest addition is located adjacent to the park’s Carousel Court and ice cream parlour. In total Quassy features more than two dozen rides and
attractions, while two Kiddyland areas cater to the very youngest of visitors with a variety of children’s rides. At the centre of the park is the Carousel Theatre stage which hosts daily entertainment during the height of the season. Popular events held include dance and karate days, an annual school music festival and a regional Irish dance completion. In addition to these attractions, Quassy also offers a large
redemption arcade, restaurant, games, paddle boat rentals and excursions on Lake Quassapaug aboard the Quassy Queen, while over a dozen educational programmes are underwritten and presented by the park each year. Quassy also caters for birthday parties, catered company
outings, family reunions, church picnics, sports team and league banquets and team building events. Catered group outings are held in the privacy of the park’s pavilions or patio area overlooking the lake.
At a glance Opened in 1908 Owned by the Frantzis family
One of only 11 ‘trolley parks’ remaining in the US
Covers an area of 20 acres
Full time staff of 12 and 300 seasonal staff Average length of stay is 4-5 hours
Future plans will see waterpark double in size and continued updating of rides in the traditional park area
www.quassy.com
PARKLIFE
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