Six Flags Over Georgia's Holiday In The Park features array of festivities

I noticed that a lot of Six Flags parks held these events this year, even in cold-winter places. Are we looking at a new growth season for parks?

Maybe...

I remember Kings Island had Winterfest and it was very popular during its original run. Holiday food, shows, ice-skating, shopping, things like that. It was also in Cincinnati, Ohio and while Ohio winters don't have to be brutal, sometimes they are. So I think some years were more successful than others.

Then during the Paramount years they tried a revival of Winterfest that appeared at a few of the parks, KI included. It only ran for one season though, because we all know what happened there, the parks were sold. So far it seems Cedar Fair has no interest.

Remember too that Dollywood and Silver Dollar City have two of the nicest holiday park events anywhere and they know what side their cinnamon bread is buttered on- they make a big extended season out if it. So there's that.

Could be. I'm all for it.

Kings Island started Winterfest back in the 80s, Hershey's been doing Christmas Candylane since '83 and Kennywood's Holiday Lights are obviously successful, so it seems like it's a viable addition to a park's schedule.

I have this vague memory of Cedar Point doing some type of event, it may have been a Christmas event or possibly an Oktoberfest event that took place after the park closed for the season?

Your memory is correct. One season, and I can't remember what year it was, CP tried a holiday event. We didn't go to it, because it seemed as if there wasn't much to do. There was food, hot chocolate, and buggy rides or something back through the park and the path took riders along side and underneath the roller coasters which were lit up for Christmas. I think the midway carousel ran too.
It was a dismal failure, and nobody went. I remember that winter was especially bad, and it was just horrible along the lake anyway. One time at an enthusiast gathering somebody asked the Cedar Point rep about it and he kind of rolled his eyes and indicated that it was a bad idea and would never happen again.

Thank you, RCMAC. Always nice to be reassured I'm not imagining things. :-)

Living close to Lake Michigan for the last three decades, I'm familiar with the "fun" of lake effect snow. I know Buffalo gets blasted regularly -- does that happen at Sandusky's end of Lake Erie?

I can see where that particular park might be hesitant to do a Christmas event, if it's dealing with weather conditions that don't affect a landlocked park like Kings Island or Hershey.

My search came up with... Cedar Point's Christmas in the Park 1994. Kings Island's Winterfest 1982-1992 & 2005.

People bring up Cedar Point all of the time, but having been there on countless winter construction tours, yeah, no thanks. Even at my coaster nerdiest I couldn't wait to get back inside. The place is brutal in the winter.

Danke, Jeff. I figured Cedar Point + winter would = no fun at all.

Lake effect snow happens everywhere (there's a lake) but it seems that stretch from Erie through Buffalo gets the worst of it. Cleveland does too, and Sandusky and Toledo to a lesser extent. Sometimes. The thing about that region is you never know- well, not far enough in advance to plan a holiday event and expect people to show. This season, which has been fairly mild (so far, knock on wood) might've been the time to do it.

I agree with Jeff though, the Point seems to have its own little micro-climate, even in the summer. It's fairly unprotected with water on three sides, and when the wind whistles through there it's awful. The last winter tour I was on it was bitter cold and icy at CP, then when we got into town, even as close a Chet & Matt's, it was better. That night though there was an icy storm and accidents were everywhere all the way back to Columbus.

Anyway, it's still a bad idea.

Santa Claus Land used to be open only at Christmas time. Since Santa Claus has a Christmas festival that has a pretty good reputation and attendance anyway, it would be neat if Holiday World could find a way to have some sort of addition to the festivities.