Tricks and Treats with ACE 2023 Event Recap

Tricks and Treats with ACE 2023 Event Recap

Last month, we held the first-ever ACE NorCal event during Tricks and Treats at California’s Great America. Learn more about our spooktacular day, thanks to ACE member Liz Tan! = = = = = = = = = = = = Written by Liz Tan. On October 14, 2023, ACE NorCal members gathered at California’s […]

Gilroy Gardens celebrating 20th anniversary, says goodbye to longtime GM

Gilroy Gardens celebrating 20th anniversary, says goodbye to longtime GM

At last, Gilroy Gardens is going to throw the party it had planned in 2020. The lush horticultural theme park will kick off its 20th birthday celebration on June 26, three days after its water park, Water Oasis, opens for the season. A colorful clubhouse stage has been constructed near the park’s entrance, featuring daily […]

Unique single-rail coaster RailBlazer opens at Great America

Unique single-rail coaster RailBlazer opens at Great America

For each of the past few seasons, California’s Great America has introduced a major new attraction. In 2016, the park took guests into space with Mass Effect: New Earth, and later that year, introduced WinterFest, adding millions of Christmas lights. In 2017, Great America’s Vortex coaster got a floorless remake and transformed into Patriot. Yet, […]

Great America 2018 preview: Construction, food, expanded entertainment and more

Great America 2018 preview: Construction, food, expanded entertainment and more

Last year, ACE NorCal’s annual California’s Great America preseason tour hit a record attendance of nearly 60 members and guests, all eager to get a glimpse at what was new for the 2017 season. This year, ACE NorCal smashed that record, two-fold. More than 130 ACE members and guests packed Great America on Feb. 24 […]

New prototype coaster at Great America pays homage to California scenery

New prototype coaster at Great America pays homage to California scenery

National Roller Coaster Day was celebrated in a big way on Aug. 16, when California’s Great America introduced its newest coaster, RailBlazer. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, RailBlazer is a prototype coaster based on RMC’s new “Raptor” model. Eight riders will traverse in a single file train on a single rail, giving riders a unique […]

California’s Great America Debuts First of its Kind Single Rail Steel Coaster for 2018

California’s Great America Debuts First of its Kind Single Rail Steel Coaster for 2018

SANTA CLARA, CA – California’s Great America will introduce a groundbreaking new single rail steel coaster, RailBlazer, for the 2018 season. RailBlazer will be the first coaster of its kind on the West Coast featuring a single rail track throughout; the design requires the rider to straddle the rail, creating an extremely low center of […]

Patriot opens at Great America with much fanfare

Patriot opens at Great America with much fanfare

Just a week into the 2017 season, California’s Great America launched Patriot on April 1, a floorless conversion of the park’s 1991 Vortex standup roller coaster. Before the ride officially opened to the public, Great America invited ACE to a media day preview event on March 31, featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony and exclusive ride […]

Great America hosts ACE NorCal for preseason tour

Great America hosts ACE NorCal for preseason tour

With all the excitement for the upcoming season and future of California’s Great America, it should come as no surprise that ACE NorCal’s annual preseason tour of the park had a record turnout on March 4. Nicholas Laschkewitsch, regional representative of ACE NorCal, said nearly 60 ACE members and their guests attended the two-hour tour, […]

BREAKING: Great America master plan unanimously approved

BREAKING: Great America master plan unanimously approved

Just after 1am on the morning of January 25th, 2017, the Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved the 20-year master plan for California’s Great America. The plan includes an outside-the-park shopping district known as Great America Marketplace, along with a rezoning of the park from Thoroughfare Commercial (CT) to Commercial Development (CD) that would increase […]