California’s Great America’s annual WinterFest celebration transforms the park into a festive spectacle with thrilling rides, themed food, and engaging activities.
WinterFest is a holiday-themed event that California’s Great America articulates from Nov. 29 until Jan. 5. Similarly, California’s Great America also has other themed events such as the Halloween Haunt. Tickets for these events range from $25 to $50, depending on the types of attractions.
Sweta Khanal, a first-time visitor at WinterFest, was particularly impressed with the variety of rides available for children. As a life coach and mother of two young children, she appreciated the opportunity for her kids to enjoy the festive atmosphere and engage in different activities.
“I think all people are enjoying WinterFest. I mostly see families, and I think they enjoy it. I’ve also seen people wearing Christmas clothes, taking pictures, and dancing. It’s lovely, I love it,” Khanal said.
According to California’s Great America, WinterFest has more than 60 rides and holiday attractions. Such attractions include writing letters to the North Pole, exploring Santa’s workshop, baking cookies in Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, live performances by actors, and holiday-themed dinners.
“Ice skating was my favorite during the whole thing. It just adds that perfect touch to the winter spirit. There is more to do at WinterFest compared to other winter events. There is more to see, and there is more to enjoy. I’ve also attended Winter Fest in other years. They only had ice skating and lights, but now there are themed rides and activities — you can even meet Santa Claus,” said Mia Brenes, a freshman at Carlmont High School who has visited WinterFest. “There’s so much more this year that adds up to a wonderful winter wonderland,”
“I’ve been to some winter events in Washington that are sort of like WinterFest. Well, I lived in a tiny town, but Winterfest is really huge. It has a lot of rides,” Khanal said.
California’s Great America is owned by Cedar Fair, which operates similar WinterFest events at other parks like Kings Island and Carowinds. These events are generally comparable in scale and approach. However, with few amusement parks and significant recreational events around Santa Clara, WinterFest is considered a large event for the area.
“For someone who has kids, I would definitely say to come in. There are lots of things to do for the kids. There are games and rides for young kids. I also see lots of high schoolers. I think even someone in high school would enjoy WinterFest, too. Who doesn’t love festivals?” Khanal said.
The family-friendly aspect of many rides in the Planet Snoopy part of the amusement park rides allows young kids to enjoy the park. Planet Snoopy is one of the most winter-decorated parts of the whole park, with many of the renowned photo locations filled with holiday decorations.
Additionally, for many students, December is a month of exams, presentations, and essays as the semester comes to a close. The exciting activities that WinterFest holds can provide teens with a sense of relief.
“I would describe WinterFest to someone who’s never been as a very festive and fun experience worth their time. It’s very heartwarming and it gets you in the winter spirit. The light displays and the decorations around the park made me happy because this part of the year is the most stressful time of the year. I think those lights and decorations provide a little break,” said Kennedy Staggs, a sophomore at Carlmont High School who has regularly visited California’s Great America.
While WinterFest offers a festive escape, it still has its flaws. For example, high pricing for food proves to be a limiting factor in the success of WinterFest, according to Brenes.
“I think they should lower the prices of their hot chocolate because it was kind of expensive for a tiny thing of hot chocolate,” Staggs said.
Larger parks with more elaborate holiday events, like Busch Gardens Christmas Town or Six Flags Holiday in the Park, might have higher pricing in general than the California’s Great America WinterFest. However, Staggs elaborates that prices are still costly, no matter the location.
“One thing that could be improved about WinterFest would be the lines in the service. Waiting an hour for Starbucks was ridiculous. Another thing that could be improved is the wait to get into WinterFest. I waited probably two hours to get in, which wasted a lot of my time. Also, people would cut and create drama scenes. It was crazy, and I think maybe there should be people standing out there for security to make sure nobody’s cutting and doing anything bad,” Brenes said.
Long wait times, a common trend throughout all amusement parks, are amplified by rowdy and impatient visitors.
“I recommend waiting in line for one thing while somebody else waits in another line. Sometimes, the service could be a little slow, and the lines were very long,” Brenes said.
Despite these hardships, Staggs, Brenes, and Khanal highlighted their interest in returning to WinterFest once more this year or next year.
“I plan on returning to WinterFest, especially this year, with a few other friends who have not gone yet. I think that I will be going 35 more times this year. I enjoy it and hope others enjoy it too,” Brenes said.
