Event WinterFest

[Nicole]

California's Great America has announced a new holiday event for 2016.

For 2016, Great America will introduce a spectacular larger than life holiday event, WinterFest. The park will be magically transformed into a winter wonderland during WinterFest where guests can skate in front of the iconic Carousel Columbia, admire magnificent displays of lights and décor, view spectacular live holiday shows, experience 18 rides and attractions, see Santa’s workshop and Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, and enjoy scrumptious holiday foods at numerous locations.

The winter scene will be dominated by one of the Bay Area’s tallest Christmas trees adorned with hundreds of twinkling lights accompanied by giant toy soldiers greeting guests.

The five-week WinterFest celebration begins November 25 for weekend operation. Daily operations run December 19-23 and 26-30.

The holiday season will be evident with 100 decorated trees, 7 uniquely lighted sections of the park, a main midway light show, a reindeer petting station, Charlie Brown’s Tree Lot and much more.

Live entertainment will include a nightly tree lighting ceremony, carolers performing on a holiday trolley, a Merry Christmas Snoopy ice show, Santa’s Elves stage show and face painting.

In addition to everyone’s favorite Peanuts characters, Great America guests will delight in seeing Frosty, Jack Frost, Jingle Bell, the Gingerbread Man, Sugar Plum Fairy and Santa’s Elves, Holly, Lolly and Jolly. Even Scrooge will have his spirits raised at WinterFest.

I wonder if this is successful, if other Cedar Fair parks will also introduce holiday events?

 

[CastleOSullivan]

I am guessing that if KD decided to do this, they would probably choose to go a more secular route as well to balance out the market if nothing else. I think this could be a start for something similar at KD sometime.

 

[MAZ]

I agree. I would think that an event at KD for the holidays would have at least some draw based on the success of BGW's event. Something tells me that Chef Paul would enjoy this event coming to his park also.

 

[mwhinva]

California's Great America has announced a new holiday event for 2016.

For 2016, Great America will introduce a spectacular larger than life holiday event, WinterFest. The park will be magically transformed into a winter wonderland during WinterFest where guests can skate in front of the iconic Carousel Columbia, admire magnificent displays of lights and décor, view spectacular live holiday shows, experience 18 rides and attractions, see Santa’s workshop and Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, and enjoy scrumptious holiday foods at numerous locations.

The winter scene will be dominated by one of the Bay Area’s tallest Christmas trees adorned with hundreds of twinkling lights accompanied by giant toy soldiers greeting guests.

The five-week WinterFest celebration begins November 25 for weekend operation. Daily operations run December 19-23 and 26-30.

The holiday season will be evident with 100 decorated trees, 7 uniquely lighted sections of the park, a main midway light show, a reindeer petting station, Charlie Brown’s Tree Lot and much more.

Live entertainment will include a nightly tree lighting ceremony, carolers performing on a holiday trolley, a Merry Christmas Snoopy ice show, Santa’s Elves stage show and face painting.

In addition to everyone’s favorite Peanuts characters, Great America guests will delight in seeing Frosty, Jack Frost, Jingle Bell, the Gingerbread Man, Sugar Plum Fairy and Santa’s Elves, Holly, Lolly and Jolly. Even Scrooge will have his spirits raised at WinterFest.

I wonder if this is successful, if other Cedar Fair parks will also introduce holiday events?

I listened to the Cedar Fair 4th quarter earnings call about a week ago. One of the things Matt Quimet said is that the chain was looking to expand the Christmas event to CGA in 2016 and potentially other parks in the chain starting in 2017. Matt did say any future park holiday events would be focused more on the southern Cedar Fair parks than the northern ones. So, I assume that would mean WOF, KD, and CW. My bet would be Carowinds next (if they decide to expand the holiday event to one park each year). Course, if Cedar Fair wants to try it in more than one park, I could see KD seeing its Christmas event in 2017.