MASON, Ohio — By the time you’re done putting Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge, the folks at Kings Island hope you’ll be ready for a winter wonderland.
WinterFest 2024 begins on Friday, Nov. 29.
Teams have spent the last three weeks turning the amusement park from scary to merry, but seven million lights are now ready to shine bright for visitors.
Through Thursday, Kings Island is running a gate-opening sale. For $19.99, anyone can purchase one general admission ticket valid any day during Kings Island’s WinterFest 2024 season.
Tickets are available on the Kings Island website: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/
Admission is included with a Gold Pass.
“It’s holiday everywhere you turn,” said Chad Showalter, Kings Island Director of Communications. “Our guests have just made this part of their family tradition.
If your tradition includes thrills, 24 rides are open to WinterFest guests this year. It includes the park’s newest coaster, Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers, and its original coaster, The Racer, for the first time.
But if attractions aren’t your speed, you won’t even have to ride a ride for a new thrill. This year, Kings Island has 25 “activation points.”
When you touch a nutcracker wand to a point, it changes the area’s light, sound and animations. It can even change the color of the 300-foot Eiffel Tower Tree. The Nutcracker Wand is available for purchase.
Entertainment Technical Manager Robert Armour said WinterFest boasts new shows this year, including a new tree lighting.
“Our general manager put it the best way, ‘it’s the happiest time of the year,’” he said. “With the weather and everything, it just brings the joy of the holidays here.”
If you get cold outside, there’s a variety of new and fan-favorite food items available at WinterFest: ‘It’s a wonderful chop’ pork chop sandwich, ‘Christmas turkey sandwich’ and honey baked ham cheese fries, pull apart bread and hot chocolate funnel cake.
Executive Chef Joe Perez said his team likes offering something different than during the typical summer season: “Let’s fill you up, let’s offer something new.”
WinterFest runs on select days through December 31.
