Mayor Jared Kraham kicked off summer with the opening of the Recreation Park carousel.

"This is an annual tradition that I've continued. I rode the carousels here at Rec Park when I was a kid, and it's just about passing on to the next generation. You know, really a sense of pride in the carousels that we have, the fact that we need to care for them, we have to invest in them, and also let kids know that their city parks," he said. 

The mayor was joined by students from Horace Mann Elementary and rumble ponies pitcher Dominic Hamel as well as the team's mascots, Ruby and Rowdy. 

The students were the first to ride the carousel this year. 

Mayor Kraham says it's important to pass the carousels on to the next generation and teach them how important they are to the region's history. 

"The emphasis here is that letting kids know that these are free, safe spaces, that they can have fun. Our parks belong to the community. They belong to everyone. And this is a really special place."

A full list of hours can be found on the city's website.