Fete Paradiso is the world’s first traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels. The rare, museum-quality collection, which includes a diverse array of attractions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as carousels, flying swings and a pipe organ are made available for the public to ride and enjoy every weekend in the summer.
They will most likely be returning to Governors Island but check their facebook page for exact dates and location.
Here are a few pictures I took from my last unforgettable visit.
A bicycle carousel from the late 19th century – one of only two in the world that were created in Paris to encourage the use of what was then the new mode of transportation – the bicycle. This ride was tiring as it is solely powered by it's riders. But once we all got into rhythm it went faster than any merry go round I've ever been on.
An early 20th century Music-Hall Ball Guzzler, a carnival game that features life-size caricatures of Josephine Baker, Charlie Chaplin and other celebrities of the time.
All of Fête Paradiso’s historic amusements will be painstakingly constructed by a French family of artisans who specialize in repairing and constructing museum-quality carousels. The group will be flown to New York to build the attraction, which will be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.
