Historic Hampton Carousel News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The grand reopening of the historic Hampton Carousel was on Saturday after it was rescheduled because of the weather.

The 100-year-old Historic Hampton Carousel will reopen to the public on Saturday, March 23, Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck announced Wednesday night. A grand reopening ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. that day, he said. Tuck said to celebrate the reopening, there will be free rides all day. Other activities include face painting, make-and-take crafts, and a DJ and dance activities with K’bana Blaq. ...

PETA, the animal rights organization based in Norfolk, appealed to a Kansas-based manufacturer of carousels and other amusement park rides to stop using images of animals in its designs. The organization sent a letter Tuesday to Aaron Landrum, president and CEO of Chance Rides, based in Wichita, stating animal-themed carousels “reinforce the notion that these sentient beings are simply here ...

The animal-rights organization stated carousels normalize exploitation of real animals. Meanwhile, the Hampton carousel is due to reopen this spring.

This summer, the city announced that Carousels and Carvings, an Ohio-based company, would be repairing the structure, one of only 170 functioning antique wooden carousels in the United States. The repair work includes disassembly, fabricating and rebuilding mechanical parts and systems, and reassembling the carousel.