originally posted on 11/4/2022 1:38:00 AM
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
The second half of October brought some good news. The loss
of a traditional park is hard to take, but one has been rescued.
As reported in ACE News last month, Joyland Park’s
owners, David and Kristi Dean, had shared the news that they were retiring and
that the park would be put up for auction unless a buyer stepped forward.
One did.
Actually, it wasn’t just one. Two Lubbock business couples
entered an agreement to keep the Texas property running. Jim and Kai Evans and
Darryl and Stephanie Holland have agreed to acquire the park.
“We are so
excited that the Evans and Holland families will continue to make Joyland a
family-friendly amusement park for years to come,” said Joyland’s David Dean.
So are enthusiasts.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
To step away from Joyland was a bittersweet decision for the
Deans. Although they were at a point in their lives when they knew they would
enjoy retirement, their love for Joyland was great. The Deans have agreed to
stay active during the transition to make sure the 2023 operating season goes
as smoothly as possible.
The park was set to go on the auction block on October 27.
Mid-month, it was announced that the auction to be conducted by Norton
Auctioneers had been canceled. The news that there would be new owners came
shortly thereafter.
Over time, Joyland has had an assortment of coasters. The
largest was Galaxi, which it acquired from White Swan Park in
Pennsylvania. Dragon Wagon, relocated from Santa’s Village AZoosment
Park in Dundee, Illinois, replaced the park’s Miler Dipsy Doodle. Sand
Storm joined the park in 2019. It is a rare — and quirky — Cavazza Diego
model, an Italian company no longer in business.
Galaxi.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Photo: Alex Rigsby. View full-sized image.
Former coasters included Mad Mouse, which Joyland
purchased from Bell’s Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It now operates at
Arnold’s Park in Iowa as Wild Mouse. When Dragon Wagon replaced Dipsy
Doodle in 2017, the Miler coaster was reportedly placed in storage. It has
not been re-erected anywhere since.
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
The salvation of a park is always good news. For coaster
fans who have never visited Joyland Park, it is most likely to be included in
ACE South Central’s West Texas Roundup regional event in 2023 that is typically
combined with stops at Wonderland Park (Amarillo) and the National Roller
Coaster Museum and Archives (Plainview).
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.
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