Published Thursday, Aug. 26, 1999 The ballroom of the Youngstown amusement park and part of the Jack Rabbit roller coaster still stand next to Mill Creek Park, but the rest of the park either burned up in two fires or was auctioned off in 1984, months after the park closed.
A small group of people who visited the park or worked there don't want the memory to fade. They collect Idora memorabilia or simply love to talk about their experiences at the park, spreading interest to people who never passed through the park's gates.
The Idora Park Development Co. is hoping to keep Idora's memory alive and maybe even give a little hope for the future with a carnival-style Back to Idora Celebration from noon to 11 p.m. Sunday at the Yankee Lake Ballroom.
The two-tier event, marking the park's 100th anniversary, will include an outdoor memorabilia show -- with ride cars from the Wild Cat, Silver Rocket and Jack Rabbit -- car cruise-in, midway games, kids activities and small rides. Inside the ballroom, the Bob Matasy Band, the Bill Bevec Orchestra, Easy Street Productions, and Frankie & The Sensations will perform. Fred Astaire Studios will hold swing lessons and a dance contest.
The U.S. Postal Service will have a 100th anniversary cancellation postmark that will be available only at the festival, for use on material brought by people or postcards sold by the Postal Service.
Mark Tarantino, co-chairman of the Idora Park Development Co., said the event will raise money for his group's goal of buying and renovating the ballroom.
Tarantino held a small Idora memorabilia event last year at his Creative Corners Custom Frame and Gallery, Cornersburg, Ohio.
"The response from that was so large," he said. "We had so many people who wanted to be involved. It just grew and grew and grew."
Tarantino said he was surprised at the strong reactions of children. "They can't imagine there were roller coasters in Youngstown."
Idora originated in 1899 as a trolley park of the Youngstown Park & Falls Street Railway, according to a timeline by Rick Shale, co-author of the book "Idora Park: The Last Ride of Summer." The park featured a dancing pavilion, theater, merry-go-round, and bandstand.
Over the years, the park changed owners and added a kiddieland and bigger rides more commonly associated with amusement parks.
Fire destroyed many rides, midway game booths and the park office in 1984. The park opened for the season, but closed in August and rides and equipment were auctioned off in October.
A 1986 fire destroyed much of what was left at the park
Tarantino said the Jack Rabbit is in poor condition, but the ballroom, now vacant, is in "fairly good condition," he said. Damage from the leaky roof and vandalism is repairable, he said.
It would take an estimated $400,000 to $500,000 to renovate the ballroom for use as an entertainment and banquet center, museum and gift shop, and IPDC couldn't do it without the help of investors, he said.
While IPDC's goal is modest, Tarantino dreams big. "Once we get ahold of the ballroom, anything can happen," he said when asked if he wants to resurrect the amusement park.
Whatever the outcome, the hard work is worth the effort to keep a bit of regional history alive, he said.
"I look at this as a local Titanic," he said. "It sank and we're trying to raise the memories of the park."
Idora adorers can be a devoted lot. "Some of the memorabilia has some really wild stories behind them. The guy who has the Wild Cat car has a garage and his cars are parked outside so the Wild Cat car can be parked inside."
One thing that is in short supply among memorabilia collectors is pictures of Idora. "It was there so long it was like the mall," Tarantino said. "No one said, 'We better take some photos in case it's not here anymore.'"
Ballroom tickets are available at Creative Corners, (330) 797-9400; Tickets Unlimited, Inc., Canfield, Ohio, (330) 533-4611; or the Yankee Lake Village Party Center, (330) 448-4711. Tickets for the outdoor portion of the event will be available at the gate.
IPDC's Web site is at: http://www.backtoidora.com
