The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
(No need to) raise the roof!
The kind of fun usually found under the sun happens yearly at I-X Indoor Amusement Park
When one thinks of animal acts, all kinds come to mind. Recently, the I-X Indoor Amusement Park, which returns for its 28th year March 24 through April 17 at the massive I-X Center in Cleveland, has struck gold with barking of a different kind from the Sea Lion Splash Show. “It is one of the most popular shows in the country at all of the different state fairs,” Show Manager Rob Attewell said. “The audience loves them. Afterwards, people have the opportunity to go up and have their picture taken with the sea lions. You can just see the smiles on their faces. There is just something about sea lions on our Beach Street that are fun.
“What I try to do with the amusement park is mix it up every year where we have new things and we bring back the things people like. This is one of those things that people just love.”
Appearing also at Beach Street will be stunt comic Roberto the Magnificent; strolling comedian, unicyclist and stilt walker Eric Haines; and Jungle Terry, with his animal and reptile friends.
“We have a new guy, Tyzen, a master hypnotist,” Attewell said. “His show is really funny. He’ll bring about a dozen people on stage and (put) them under a trance. It’s amazing. It will be different every time with a different audience.
“And, we added a feature called Butterfly Encounter to be Beach Street. It’s a paid attraction, at $2, where people will be able go inside with a sugar stick. Butterflies land on it and they feed him. It’s a nice atmosphere.”
Naturally, the I-X Indoor Amusement Park offers plenty of thrills, beginning at the aptly named Thrill City. In addition to popular roller coaster Crazy Mouse, there are also swing rides Freakout and Vertigo.
For those children seeking a less-harrowing experience, Kidzville features more than 25 rides and a petting zoo. There’s also plenty of live entertainment, with the schedule changing each week.
“The stage shows are excellent this year,” Attewell said. “Opening weekend we have The Thriller BMX stunt team, which is a pretty high-energy show. We combine it with the NBA halftime show group Skyriders. That’s a trampoline show where they do all sorts of flips with skis and snowboards. It’s pretty entertaining … stuff.”
If there’s one constant over the past three decades, it’s the I-X Center Ferris Wheel, which Attewell said often gets taken for granted.
“We have this huge facility where we can do things that you can’t do other places,” Attewell said. “To be able to have a full indoor amusement in itself is a feat. And then when you step back and take a look, it’s really pretty amazing we have a Ferris wheel (and) that’s 130 foot tall in an 80-foot-tall building. It’s awesome and a really nice ride.”
Another aspect of the I-X Indoor Amusement Park is the food, which mirrors in caloric intake and tastiness the types of delights found at summer fairs.
This is somewhat problematic for Attewell. How does he stay away from getting a corn dog and elephant ears for lunch every day during the three-week affair?
“Yeah, I usually go back to the yogurt stand,” Attewell laughed. “It’s really tasty, and there’s all sorts of food. There are some healthy options available, as well, but most people really want to enjoy the fair food. That’s where you’ll see all of the action.”