Carowinds’ Winterfest opens Sunday with ‘whimsical’ parade. On-site hotel now open
Jack Frost, Snowflake, Santa and Mrs. Clause will make their debut at Carowinds Sunday.
Carowinds’ holiday celebration, Winterfest, will open to the public at 4 p.m. that day.
Winterfest will be open to Carowinds pass holders from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Winterfest also will be open select nights through Dec. 31, including New Year’s Eve. Carowinds is on the South Carolina-North Carolina border between Fort Mill and Charlotte.
In a preview event Thursday, Carowinds debuted the new Winterfest Wonderland Parade. The parade featured eight floats - a holiday train, a Gazebo with a working ice rink, a gingerbread house, Jack Frost’s snow machine, a toy shop, Santa’s Sleigh and two floats featuring park guests.
The parade included 100 singers, dancers and holiday characters and was decorated with more than 40,000 lights, according to Carowinds.
The parade will run at 9 p.m. each night.
“It’s a whimsical depiction of all the best things the season has to offer,” said Pat Jones, vice president and general manager of Carowinds.
“For me, this time of year is all about family, fun, a warm hearth ... we think we’ve done a pretty good job here at Carowinds with providing a nice backdrop for that,” Jones said.
Parade floats were designed and built by Kern Studios, a family business that also creates floats for Mardi Gras, according to Carowinds.
“We’re really proud of this new part of our event,” said Lisa Stryker, spokesperson for Carowinds.
Winterfest participants also can enjoy ice skating, shopping and eating at multiple restaurants and snack areas throughout the park.
Walking through the park, guests will be surrounded by sparkling trees and enjoy live performances of holiday music. Each night, Carowinds will light the 70-foot tree with the help of Snoopy and live performers.
Jack Frost, Snowflake and Tinsel will greet visitors, along with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Guests can decorate their own cookies, send letters to Santa at the North Pole Post Office and enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride.
Winterfest features more than 12 shows in 11 themed areas, Stryker said.
“There’s so much for you to do with your family and friends,” she said.
Live shows include the radio talk show-themed performance Holiday in Harmony, Charlie Brown’s Christmas Spectacular, Blitzen’s Brass Brigade and 4 Drummers Drumming.
Several rides also will be open.
For more information, visit carowinds.com/play/winterfest.
Accommodations
Visitors to the area can stay in the new SpringHill Suites Charlotte at Carowinds hotel. The 130-suite hotel opened Tuesday, according to a release from Carowinds.
The hotel sits across from the theme park and is open all year. The rooms are larger than a typical hotel room and separate spaces are available for living, working and sleeping, according to Carowinds.
“As Carowinds evolves into a true destination theme park, we’re thrilled to offer our guests a beautiful and comfortable new place to stay right here on site to enjoy their vacations,” Jones said in a prepared statement. “We couldn’t be more proud to welcome them to the SpringHill Suites Charlotte at Carowinds.”
Hotel amenities include free daily breakfast, Wi-Fi, dry cleaning, a meeting room, laundry facilities, a 24/7 market, an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center, according to Carowinds.
Earlier this year, Carowinds also announced it would be adding a new water slide and nighttime festival in 2020.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 1:44 PM.
