Independence Amusement Park in St Kitts attracts massive crowd, PM Drew calls it a 'hit'

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew shared glimpses of the highly anticipated Independence Amusement Park aka Coney Island and said that it a was a ‘hit’.

He attended the final night of the amusement park on Sunday and was delighted to see everyone, especially the families, enjoying themselves.

While sharing the glimpses on his official Facebook account, he said, “I also joined in on the fun and tried some of the rides. A big thank you to the organizers and everyone who contributed to making this a success over the past three weeks.”

The Prime Minister was seen having a good time while engaging with his constituents and other cabinet members including Deputy Prime Minister Dr Geoffrey Hanley.

He also shared the views of the locals who were seen having the time of their lives at the Coney Island.

A resident said, “Do it again next year, Yeah they should do it again,” while another said, “I really wish it was longer, maybe, like two more months. But, they should do it again.”

For many younger people, this was their first time experiencing an amusement park. The last amusement park visit to St. Kitts and Nevis was about twenty years ago.

Children expressed their views with one saying, “We really do love it a lot,” while another called it huge ‘fun’ saying, “I wish we could like go around two more times on the dragon nest. I just really wish we could do that.”

Notably, the Dr. Terrance Drew-led administration brought a Coney Island-style amusement park to the Federation as part of St Kitts and Nevis’ 2024 Independence celebrations for the enjoyment of the public. 

Thousands of families turned out to enjoy the rides, carnival food and entertainment during the park's operation from 13 September to 6 October, 2024.

To make the activity accessible and affordable to all, the government heavily subsidised the amusement park. The entrance was free for children and $10 for adults while the cost for rides, attractions and prizes started at $5. 

In addition to this, it provided an excellent economic opportunity for many local business owners who operated food stalls, ice cream trucks, and provided the nightly entertainment throughout the event.