Category: 2021 news
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It’s the merriest time of the year. Here’s what’s on tap at the parks for the holidays
The weather is cooling (mostly), the stores are packed with shoppers, and the end of the year is nigh. The holiday season is in full effect, and our Northern California theme parks are decked out to the fullest. Here’s a brief overview of what’s going on. California’s Great America: WinterFest is back on select nights…
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Sally Dark Rides reveals surprise Monterey attraction at IAAPA Expo
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions’ (IAAPA) annual expo in Florida is a theme park fanatic’s dream, featuring a week full of ride announcements, concepts and schmoozing with industry leaders. During IAAPA’s 2021 Attractions Expo from Nov. 15-19, Northern California park fans got a thrilling, out-of-nowhere announcement: Famed manufacturer Sally Dark Rides is…
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Haunts and frights return for 2021
Halloween is back. Perhaps not as large as it once was, but after the annual spookfests took an unplanned hiatus last year, we’re not complaining. Here’s what our Northern California parks have planned this year. California’s Great America Halloween Haunt is back after last year’s pandemic-related cancellation, running select nights from Sept. 24 through Oct.…
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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…
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Barbara-Lea Granter Named Vice President and General Manager at California’s Great America
SANTA CLARA, California (May 14, 2021) – California’s Great America, Northern California’s premier entertainment destination, today announced that Barbara-Lea Granter has been named vice president and general manager of the park. She succeeds Manny Gonzalez, who recently was promoted to vice president and general manager at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both California’s Great America…
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ACE NorCal tours Great America in first event in more than a year
ACE NorCal was back inside a park for the first time in more than a year, courtesy of our friends at California’s Great America. The May 2 off-season tour at CGA erased any doubts about the pent-up demand among park fans after 14 months. Within 15 minutes of registration opening, the 2021 off-season tour filled…
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Major investment a possibility for Gilroy Gardens
Could there be new rides, zip lines, surfing pools and more attractions coming to Gilroy Gardens in the near future? It’s a remote possibility, as two developers are vying for a shot to give the horticulture park perhaps the largest capital investment it has ever seen in its history. A City of Gilroy-initiated request for…