Rocky Point Memories Contest

Rocky Point Amusement Park operated on the shore of Narragansett Bay in Warwick from the late 1840s until its closing in 1995. During those decades generations of Rhode Islanders swam in the salt water pool, screamed themselves hoarse on the Freefall, spun around on the circa 1915 Herschell-Spillman carousel, clung tightly to their dates inside the House of Horrors, bobbed their heads at their first Rock ‘n’ Roll concert, and threw clamcakes to the gulls from the pier outside the World’s Largest Shore Dinner Hall. When the park went out of business we lost more than just a few creaky carnival rides, we lost a cultural touchpoint, a shared community experience that was a big part of the Ocean State’s cultural identity.

What’s your favorite Rocky Point memory? Tell us your best story and you may win two free tickets to Food For Thought on the Coastal Wine Trail, taking place September 25th at the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center! This event showcases Little Rhody’s rich, international flavors by pairing diverse food samples from thirty local independent restaurants with wines from seven local vineyards. There will be live music, entertainment, raffles, and auctions.

Entries should be 500 words or fewer, and will be judged on how well they convey a sense of what Rocky Point meant to you, the writer.

While only the entry judged to be the best will receive the two free tickets to the Food For Thought on the Coastal Wine Trail event, all entries will be eligible to appear on a new Quahog.org page devoted to Rocky Point memories, similar in style to our Blizzard of ‘78 and Salty Brine pages.

Please send submissions to stuffie@quahog.org by Friday, September 19, 2008. The winner will be notified via email by Monday, September 22.

Good luck!