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National Roller Coaster Day

Fun · August 16

A day for roller coasters: the climb, the drop, the screaming, and the wooden and steel rides that make amusement parks feel like amusement parks.

National Roller Coaster Day falls on Monday, August 16, 2027. That is 293 days away.

A roller coaster is a ride built on a simple trick. A chain or launch system gets the train up high or up to speed, and after that gravity and momentum do most of the work, pulling the cars through drops, curves and hills along a track.

The experience is mostly anticipation. There is the slow clack of the lift hill, the pause at the top where everyone suddenly gets quiet, and then the drop that makes your stomach float for a second. Wooden coasters tend to rattle and sway, which gives them a rough, lively feel. Steel coasters can run smoother and twist through loops and inversions that wood rarely attempts.

People mark the day by riding, of course, but plenty of fans enjoy coasters from the ground. Some sit near the exit to watch riders stumble off grinning. Others follow the track with their eyes, trying to guess which hill will lift them out of their seats. Front row or back row is a real debate among riders, since the back car gets whipped over the top of each hill while the front car sees everything coming.

If you do ride, the rules posted at the entrance are there for good reasons. Height limits, loose item policies and the instruction to keep hands inside all exist because the forces involved are real.

And the people in the photo booth at the exit, the ones laughing at their own frozen faces, are often the ones heading straight back into line.

Ways to celebrate

• Ride a coaster at a nearby park and try a different row.
• Watch a ride video and pick out the biggest drop.
• Build a marble coaster from cardboard tubes and tape.
• Ask friends about the first coaster they ever rode.

Dates

All national days on August 16

Also on August 16

• National Rum Day
• National Tell a Joke Day
• National Airborne Day

Categories: Fun days