One familiar attraction marks an unofficial start to summer.
The Willowbrook Park Carousel opened its gates Saturday for its first merry-go-around of the season. Run by the Greenbelt Conservancy, the Carousel draws thousands of visitors every year. Opening day activities included a petting zoo, face painting, a puppet show and arts and crafts.
"Opening day is always a big deal. People are chomping at the bit, pardon the pun, to get back on one of the carousel horses, so we love that. We love seeing new faces and old faces and just launching carousel season," said Dorothy Reilly, Greenbelt Conservancy, Director of Public Relations.
"The petting zoo is actually looking really cool. I never saw the cow before. That was surprising. But the sand arts, the puppetry, it's a nice way to kick off the summer," said parent Carol Anderson.
The Carousel is open Friday to Sunday in May and switches to seven days a week in July. It runs until October.