POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Plans are ramping up for celebrations of America's 250th birthday, and that includes the addition of a new roller coaster on the boardwalk that honors the red, white and blue.
Jenkinson's Amusements is constructing a new roller coaster on the boardwalk titled Patriot's Run that not only is a nod to the upcoming 250th birthday of America but to the history of the coasters at Jenkinson's.
"Every year we are looking for new attractions," said Alex Taylor, marketing and brand manager for Jenkison's Boardwalk. Patriot's Run came about as an effort to add something new as Jenkinson's tries to keep offering new wrinkles to keep families coming back.
In pondering something new, "something that really stuck out was a patriotic theme," he said, adding "It was a no-brainer because of the timing" leading into 2026.
Patriot's Run is being built on the site previously occupied by the Tidal Wave coaster, where the cars spun as they traveled along the track right along Ocean Avenue, he said. The Tidal Wave had replaced the longstanding coaster the Flitzer, which operated from 1990 through 2017, he said.
"Patriot’s Run shares many similarities with the Flitzer in both style and spirit," Taylor said, with a classic lift hill and the design of the track. It also pays tribute to the race car theme of the Flitzer, whose cars were adorned with flame designs, with American flag-style flames on the Patriot's Run cars.
While Patriot's Run will reach about 40 feet high to appeal to the more adventurous riders, Taylor said, but it will be family friendly, with no flips or other extreme actions like those found on big roller coasters at parks like Great Adventure.
"Having family-oriented attractions is important," Taylor said, as they try to appeal to families with younger children up to preteens.
The coaster is custom built and all of it is new, Taylor said. The parts arrived in five shipping containers on April 29 and is in the process of assembly.
Jenkinson's has planned a ribbon-cutting for the coaster for July 16, Taylor said, but they are anticipating it opening to the public sooner though he did not have a firm timeline.
Taylor is sharing progress videos of the coaster on the Jenkinson's Amusements Instagram account. An update shared Monday showed much more track in place and he said the coaster is about 25 percent complete.
In addition to Patriot's Run, Jenkinson's will be celebrating America's 250th birthday with an array of promotions and events, including ride wristbands priced at $17.76, entertainment on the beach stage and a fireworks display at night. Taylor said more details would be released closer to the opening.
For the 2026 summer season, Jenkinson's has a number of promotions, with wristband specials, the annual Jumpstart to Summer concert on May 22 to kick off Memorial Day weekend, and Movies on the Beach.
Jenkinson's Aquarium will be celebrating its 35th anniversary in June, and Christmas in July returns on July 21-22.
Much of the summer events and promotions swing into full action in mid-June, after schools let out and summer breaks begin, Taylor said.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Point Pleasant, NJ Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.