Lakeside Amusement Park is planning to reopen this summer following a year dark due to COVID-19.
Brenda Fishman, the park’s head of operations, confirmed Lakeside hopes to open by “mid-summer,” but there are still many details to nail down — and importantly staff to hire — before then.
“Our main concern at this point is just finding help,” she said.
The beloved retro theme park, which was founded in 1908 by a beer baron, retained a small staff throughout the pandemic and spent the last year improving infrastructure, such as underground electric work and waterproofing — “the unfun side of things,” Fishman said. But because Lakeside didn’t hire seasonal workers in 2020 and some of the year-round employees have departed, the park is in a pinch.
Fishman is looking to hire mechanics, maintenance workers and other trades-people to help get the rides running. Soon the park will look to hire cashiers, concessionaires, cleaning crews and more. Interested folks can apply at lakesideamusementpark.com.
Lakeside isn’t alone in lacking workers. Several industries, including food service and construction, are also reportedly experiencing a labor shortage.
The sooner people join her team, the sooner Lakeside can open its gates, Fishman said. The park will debut some new rides, too. But the best part will simply be seeing people able to enjoy the space and attractions, she said.
“We’ve just been working and doing our best to improve and make everything as good and pretty and nice and safe as we can,” Fishman said. “Wouldn’t it be great to see people inside, and smell the smells, the popping popcorn and all of that?”
