Saying good-bye to the memories: Iconic amusement parks across nation close for good as summer ends

For many Americans, Labor Day weekend signifies the start of a new school year — and sadly, the end of summer fun.As kids head back to school, most amusement parks across the country close their doors for the season before picking back up again the following year.However, some beloved amusement parks are saying goodbye for the last time this summer as they plan to shut down for good. That includes the long-standing Wild Waves park in Federal Way, Washington, which is closing its doors for good following its 50th summer season. “A lot of people have been flooding back to the park to relive the memories, make new ones, and say goodbye,” Wes Petree, the park’s director of sales and marketing, told KIRO. “The community has really shown up in support of Wild Waves.” Wild Waves Theme & Water Park in Federal Way, Washington, will close in November after its 50th summer season (Google Maps)The park’s operator, Oklahoma-based Premier Parks, announced its closure in December, citing growing costs associated with running the park. Wild Waves employs 35 full-time staff and 800 to 900 seasonal workers. While its water park plans to shut down for good after Labor Day, its theme park side will stay open for various Halloween-themed events until it also closes for good November 1. Another longtime amusement park, Fun Spot America in Fayetteville, Georgia, also closed down this summer after 36 years. The park, which opened in 1990 as Dixieland Fun Park and then became Fun Junction USA, had go-karts and some of the best-rated roller coasters in the world — but still had low attendance, its owner told WSB-TV. “We tried our best here, and it just didn’t work,” owner John Arie told the outlet. More than 200 people, mainly teens and college students, lost their jobs when the park closed this past August, according to the report. Fun Spots locations in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida, will both remain open. Keaira Stanley, who visited the park as a child, came back this summer to say goodbye, telling the news station, “Even when I came awhile ago, that’s how it was. It was real slow.”Fiesta Fun Park in Califronia ended its run over the summer after first opening in 1974 (Fiesta Village Family Fun Park/Facebook)Another amusement park, the family-owned Fiesta Village in Colton, California, closed for good this past July due to rising costs and declining attendance. “For decades, Fiesta Village has been a place where families gathered, friendships grew and memories were made,” the park said in a social media post.“When we were given the opportunity 25 years ago to carry forward the tradition that began in 1974, our goal was to preserve that spirit and create a welcoming space for connection, celebration and joy, while also providing meaningful employment for the people who helped bring it all to life.”