The Silver Beach Carousel will bring back its annual Founders’ celebration this year after a hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the special observance is coming up THIS weekend, June 23-25, according to an announcement today from the Carousel.
The weekend honors Logan Drake and Louis Wallace who spent their lives creating happy memories for millions of people and delighting all ages from 1891-1971 at Silver Beach Amusement Park.
“Wallace and Drake were just teenagers when they started building boats and buying land, which they named Silver Beach because of the way the clean sand sparkled like silver from the sun’s reflection off the water,” said Suz Schalon, president of the Silver Beach Carousel Society.
Schalon continued, “In the mid-1890s they erected a tall slide that launched beachgoers into the sandy waters of Lake Michigan, which showed great creativity and sense of fun. They were always innovating and ahead of their time at the park. We want to honor that spirit of adventure when our visitors come to the Carousel this weekend.”
Friday, June 23 will be the first open Friday of 2023, adding an extra day of fun to weekend plans. Hourly drawings for souvenir sandcastles and free popcorn will be held all three days for ages 5 and above. Visitors must be present to win.
Recorded barbershop quartet tunes will be heard throughout the weekend, adding a nostalgic note to the antique band organ music. The Carousel is also fully decorated for summer with an Under the Sea theme, featuring current character favorites like “The Little Mermaid” and “Nemo”, plus a pirate walking the plank.
“Our guests come to have fun riding the Carousel and experience old-time favorites like a photo booth, animated fortune teller and fun house mirrors,” Schalon added. “They can browse our Amusement Park Museum displays of original memorabilia and hear a short history of the park while watching our electrified diorama. They can even dance on a piece of the original Shadowland ballroom floor.”
Original Kiddyland rides on display include a boat, train and plane. Two horses from the original Silver Beach Carousel (1920-1975) are also featured. One is unrestored to appreciate the hand carving and one is fully restored with hand painted artistry. All figures on the current Carousel were created using the same techniques.
Fresh-popped popcorn, handmade caramel corn and cotton candy are available along with Dippin’ Dots and SLUSH PUPPiES at the Refreshment Stand. Inside the restocked and newly renovated Brass Ring Gift Shop, visitors will find a wide variety of souvenirs including a brass Carousel ornament.
Beach day necessities are available along with the book, “Silver Sands, Golden Memories” and the WNIT DVD documentary “A Legacy of Memories: The History of Silver Beach Amusement Park” for encore viewing at home.
“If you stand in the Carousel on a summer day with the doors open, you’ll smell the popcorn while the machine whirls and the band organ plays its distinctive music. Close your eyes when the happy squeals from the Whirlpool Compass Fountain across the road begin – very reminiscent of the roller coaster screams in the old park. It’s our attempt to recreate the old park experience for those who never experienced it,” Schalon said.
Wallace and Drake would be thrilled that their park was open for nearly 100 years, Schalon said, because they loved their St. Joseph community and Silver Beach ownership so much before that success.
“Their grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have visited the Carousel have been delighted their ancestors’ legacy is still remembered and celebrated with such affection,” she said.
The Silver Beach Carousel will announce additional open days in July on its website and phone message. Parking is available in the Silver Beach Center parking lot for $5 per day with rates higher around the Independence Day holiday. Additional parking is available at Silver Beach County Park or downtown St. Joseph at varying rates.
The Silver Beach Carousel (circa 2010) features 48 beautifully hand-carved, hand-painted, unique figures and two chariots — one is wheelchair accessible. As riders whirl beneath 1,000 twinkling lights, a vintage (circa 1911) and contemporary band organs play rollicking music. Around the top of the Carousel are 18 rounding boards that tell the area’s rich history.
