Playland opens; positions itself as a place for sustainable fun 

Playland in Rye opened for the season this past Saturday, with Standard Amusements at the helm under its operating contract with Westchester County.  Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, County Legislators Catherine Parker and David Tubiolo and Natasha Caputo, Director of Westchester County Tourism & Film, were among those joining Standard Amusements’ Nicholas Singer and Evonne Keeler for a noontime ribbon-cutting ceremony.   

This Memorial Day weekend, Playland, the historic Art Deco amusement park in Rye, has more on its mind than mere fun in the sun. 

 Standard Amusements has been partnering with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to benchmark the amusement park’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) carbon emissions performance and will develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy to guide the park’s development and operations as it enters its next 100 years.    

“While continuing to preserve and honor Playland’s rich history, our key priorities include improving our carbon footprint and focusing on the park’s sustainability to welcome families for the next generation,” said Evonne Keeler, Playland’s CEO.  

According to Jenkins:, “We are thrilled to see Standard Amusements and JLL taking such a proactive approach to sustainability at Playland. As one of the county’s most cherished destinations, it is critical that we continue to preserve the park’s history while making strides to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our environment for future generations.”   

Standard Amusements and JLL are developing strategies to reduce potable water usage, improve energy efficiency, increase the reuse of materials at the park and launch a composting program. With its proximity to nature and the preserve, Playland will also feature green infrastructure and become a more climate-resilient facility as part of the new sustainability strategy, reducing adverse effects on local ecosystems.   

Eco-friendly initiatives are already underway at Playland, including replacing old lighting with high efficiency LEDs, moving from propane to clean, all-electric cooking appliances for food service and installing water refill stations. Additionally, the Standard Amusements team has already planted more than 50 trees throughout Playland’s campus with more to come and has begun installing green roofs on buildings, making the air cleaner and cooler.   

These are only the first steps of a larger sustainability transformation that Playland will be undertaking in the coming years. The JLL sustainability team is bringing its global perspective and local expertise to help Playland become an attraction for best-in-class sustainability.  

“We are proud to be part of the journey for this historic gem of Westchester County and are excited to work together with Standard Amusements to build something special for decades to come,” said Adam Fisher, who leads JLL Sustainability Consulting for the northeastern United States.   

During Memorial Day weekend, Playland will make a splash into summer with the opening of Playland Beach and Pool and a special ceremony on Monday, May 27, to honor military heroes. Festivities include special performances and the debut of The Playland Hometown Heroes Banner Program, featuring personalized banners that will be displayed along the waterfront through Veterans’ Day (Nov. 11) as a living tribute to those who serve and have served our country. The evening will end with celebratory fireworks.   

In addition, Playland is partnering with NY Waterway to launch a seasonal summer round-trip ferry service to Playland from East 34th Street in Manhattan, with a stop at 90th Street and Ferry Point Park, on select Saturdays, including May 25, June 22, July 20, Aug. 17 and Aug. 31. Bundled ferry and park tickets are available at Playland.com.   

Summer events include variety shows (7 p.m. Sundays, beginning May 26); a synchronized swimming performance (June 22); outdoor movies (8 p.m. Thursdays, June 27 through Aug. 20); fireworks (9 p.m. Saturdays, beginning June 29); ArtsWestchester Programs in the Park (2 p.m. Tuesdays July 9 through Aug. 27); a Dragon Coaster art contest and birthday celebration (July 20 and 21); and the return of the world’s largest rubber duck (Aug. 16 through 18).