Six Flags St. Louis Honoring 50 Years of Thrills this Summer

 © Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis is honoring a special milestone this summer as the park celebrates 50 years of thrills, which technically happened during the pandemic as the park opened in 1971, however if you're looking at it from an anniversary perspective then this year is indeed the big 5-0.  But who cares about that, it's awesome to see the park reach this milestone and to help celebrate it's planning special events spread throughout 50 days of the park's spring and summer season.

 

To kick off the 50 days of fun the park will hold a special event on June 5th to honor the date the park opened back in 1971.  The first 1,000 guests to enter the park will receive a special gift, and that night at 8:45 the park will host a spectacular fireworks show.

© Six Flags St. Louis

Other celebration additions include the new Memory Museum in the park's Palace Theater lobby, and we all know history exhibits are fantastic for park nerds like myself!  Can't wait to see some photos of what the park has to show off from their 50 years.  The park will also be hosting two new live shows this year on the Palace Porch and visitors will be excited to meet Bugs Bunny in person once again and he makes appearances at the park. 

As the 50 days of celebration roll on there will be additional events held. On June 11, July 9 and 23 visitors can attend an After Hours Anniversary Bash that will have music, costumes, food and exclusive ride time on some old and new favorites.  Other events include dive-in movies, more fireworks and even a Vow Renewal Ceremony to honor those who have met and fallen in love at the park over the past 50 years.  Cute!

Six Flags Great America to Give Away 50,000 Tickets to Those Who Get Vaccinated

© Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America has announced that they will be giving away 50,000 tickets to individuals who get vaccinated in coming weeks.  The total tickets given away are valued at around $4 million, so the park is making quite a commitment to helping the vaccination effort.

And of course the park has not only a motive to help public health, but also to help return things back to normal - which of course might include a trip to the park.  Whatever the reason, it's a large scale promotion that has gotten a lot of media attention today.

© Six Flags Great America

This news story reports that the tickets will be distributed in-state through county health departments and mobile vaccination clinics.  There is a push to motivate younger teens, who were just cleared to receive the Pfizer vaccine this week, to take part in the program with a free visit to the park.  Starting in June there will be clinics held right at the park, making the process even easier!

The article also clarifies that guests can use the ticket either at the theme park in Gurnee, or at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Rockford.  The promotion comes as many states are looking for ways to motivate those still eligible to get vaccinated, including million dollar lotteries in Ohio and other programs.  I have a feeling this won't be the last promotion from a park that we will see this year - probably just the start of them.

Wild Adventures Theme Park to Debut Great Pumpkin LumiNights This Fall

© Wild Adventures

Wild Adventures Theme Park is excited to hold their first Great Pumpkin LumiNights event this fall, a family friendly affair that is already super popular at other Herschend Family theme parks.  The theme park will spend $700,000 in order to bring the event to life, which feature plenty of family fun and many "larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures" throughout the park.

 

“With Great Pumpkin LumiNights, we are bringing a world-class fall event to Wild Adventures,” said Patrick Pearson, director of sales and marketing. “Thousands of illuminated pumpkins will come together to create amazing, towering sculptures, and around every corner families will find glowing surprises everyone will enjoy.”

 

© Wild Adventures

Among the displays will be giant animals made of carved pumpkins, including a spider, a 12 foot tall giraffe, and 11 foot tiger, 8 foot alligator and plenty more.  These will be combined with decorative lighting and expanded Trick-or-Treating for kids.  The park will also bring back the Pumpkin Spice Festival, a food festival focused on the popular and prevalent pumpkin spice flavor.

Great Pumpkin LumiNights and the Pumpkin Spice Festival will begin on September 24th and continue on select dates through October 31st.  The event officially replaces Terror In The Wild, the park's former scary Halloween event.

Dorney Park Plans a Host of Special Events and Treats at Welcome Back Weekend

© Dorney Park

Dorney Park is excited to welcome guests back to the park when they open for the 2021 season on May 22nd, so excited in fact that they are holding a Welcome Back Weekend full of special celebrations.  From special entertainment to special food treats, the park will offer plenty of limited time offerings the weekend of May 22nd and 23rd, and are also extending the fun to include May 29th through the 31st.

To sweeten the deal the park is giving out special Pass Perks during this time for season pass holders.  Those with season passes who visit during the Welcome Back Weekends will have a chance to have special Perks loaded to their pass that are valid from June 4th through September 6th.  One lucky winner will be awarded a special behind the scenes tour of Grand Canivale for themselves and up to 4 friends.  To top it off, everyone who visits during the event will receive one free single-day Fast Lane that can be redeemed from June 4th through September 6th.

© Dorney Park

Alfundo will also be on hand during the event to meet guests, plus there will be special trivia and games, and even a dance party on the Main Midway.  The park's dueling pianos, The UpRights, will also perform during the event.

Fans of midway games will rejoice at the chance to take part in Welcome Back Weekend games, with a chance to win their own unicorn and one of the increasingly popular Squishmallow characters.  The special unicorn roundup game lets you play until you win, and a special game card will award a free Squishmallow after 8 plays - plus one free play is awarded after 4 games.

© Dorney Park

Looking for special merchandise?  The park has you covered.  Guests will be able to find treasures such as Dorney Park face masks, new t-shirt designs, Talon 20th anniversary items and the Alfundo plush that can be seen above.  He's definitely coming to my house.  Guests who purchase their admission online are able to add a special 2021 shirt for only $8.99, or in the park as a buy one get one free at $19.99.

But what about food?  No worries there.  The Dorney Park Food Truck will be showcasing new food items located throughout the park this year which include a Patty Melt, Signature Chicken Tenders, Stromboli, Twister Potatoes, and Ice Cream Blitzes.  The park will also be offering their latest signature brew, ALE-Fundo, created specially for the park by Hijink Brewing.

Dorney Park will also have several special limited edition treats available only during Welcome Back Weekend while supplies last.  These include a Lemon Pound Cake Extreme Milkshake, Funnel Cake Fries, Apple Crisp Sundae and Brownie Waffles & Ice Cream.

Columbus Zoo Building New Tidal Twist Family Roller Coaster for 2021

The Columbus Zoo is working on adding a new family roller coaster, named Tidal Twist, in time for their Summer season.  The park has released only limited details on the new coaster so far, stating that it will be of the spinning variety, stand 36 feet tall and hit a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour.

The new ride will be replacing the park's Redwood Falls log flume, which already been removed from the park.  The log flume was a newer attraction at the park, having opened in 2008, so in the end it didn't have a very long life at the Zoo.

© The Park at OWA

Going off of the Tidal Twist's statistics, it was quickly matched up to be one of Zamperla's family spinning roller coasters.  A similar model can be found at The Park at OWA, seen above.  The small coaster will be a fun family alternative at the Adventure Cove section of the Columbus Zoo.  

Recent photos from inside the Zoo show that they have already poured a large rectangular foundation for Tidal Twist to be built on.  The Columbus Zoo is also home to the Sea Dragon, a PTC wooden roller coaster that dates back to 1956 and was a part of Wyandot Lake park.

Six Flags Announces La Ronde to Open May 22nd

© La Ronde

La Ronde, located in Quebec, Canada, has announced that it has received clearance to open with rides and attractions on May 22nd.  The park is the last of Six Flags' properties to be allowed to reopen as a full theme park, so the operator is understandably excited.  Park officials are also excited to get back to the business of fun, as La Ronde Park President Sophie Emond noted that “This is a great day for our team. We are thrilled to reopen Quebec’s leading destination for thrills and family fun.” 

La Ronde will reopen with a limited daily attendance amount and will utilize reservations to stay within Quebec's reopening guidelines.  The park will also follow other safety measures already in place at operating Six Flags parks.

© La Ronde

Fans of La Ronde will be excited to get back on the park's selection of rides, which includes Goliath, seen above.  It's been a long time since they've been able to thrill passengers!

 

Back before the pandemic La Ronde announced the addition of Vipere, which was Green Lantern: First Flight at Six Flags Magic Mountain.  Like most new for 2020 attractions it was delayed, but I no longer see mention of it on La Ronde's website, so it is unclear if the coaster will be coming in 2022 or if it has been cancelled.