Entertainment at Erie Beach

Entertainment at Erie Beach. . It was hard not to be jealous of the high wire performers. They had the very best view of the park. , If the acrobats were set up in just the right spot, a simple spin allowed them a view of vaudeville acts and musical groups. They could admire aeroplanes, still a marvel in 1911, from above. And through the trees, they often caught glimpses of roller coaster cars cresting the tallest incline and crowds pouring into the athletic stadium to cheer on their favourite team or chariot racer. , Then there was the woman who dove off a tiny aerial platform, on the back of a horse, into a small pool of water. She may have had it the best of all. Leading her horse up the spiral ramp that would take them to their high perch, she had time to take in the view. She heard the peacocks squawking and the bears roaring from the zoo. She smelled the food being sold from concession stands and heard the barkers calling from the midway. Climbing to the very top, she could hear the voices of those who would miss her show, distracted with the joy of taking in one of the many rides. , "[On the Helter Skelter] you walked up on the inside on steps and when you got to the top, on the outside of the building, it was a slide. And you sat on a carpet and came down on the outside of the It was a thriller too." Al Reid , "On the Lindy Loop] you went out over the water and it was so full of rocks that if one of those chains ever gave way... my mother said it was dangerous so she would never let me ride it." Gladys Barnhart