Carowinds is reopening for the holiday season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Carowinds will reopen next month after being closed for the year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But a reservation is required.
The amusement park will reopen for select dates Nov. 21-Dec. 20 for a Taste of the Season outdoor event, according to a park news release Wednesday.
The theme park on the South Carolina and North Carolina border near Charlotte was shuttered through spring or summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taste of the Season: An Outdoor Holiday Experience will have food tasting, themed areas, live shows and rides.
Season pass members can make reservations starting Nov. 9. Single-day ticket reservations begin Nov. 11.
“We couldn’t be more ready and excited to welcome guests back to the park for this wonderful holiday celebration,” said Pat Jones, Carowinds vice president and general manager.
Carowinds has been closed since March under government stay-at-home orders and was tentatively scheduled to reopen in July. But Jones said then that “continued uncertainty” in the region over COVID-19 led to the decision to keep the park closed, The Herald previously reported.
COVID-19 safety protocols
Reservations are required, and all guests and staff must wear face coverings, according to Carowinds.
Guests also will complete an online health screening before admission and there will be temperatures before entering the park.
Carowinds spokeswoman Lisa Stryker said not all major attractions will be open, but it’s not entirely due to the pandemic.
“We don’t operate our larger rides such as Fury 325 and Intimidator in the colder months,” Stryker said.
Rides that don’t allow for social distancing won’t run, and seats or rows on others may be blocked off to allow extra room for guests. Seats, restraints and headrests on rides will be sanitized frequently, according to the park.
Stryker didn’t say how many guests would be allowed in at one time but said the park will maintain a conservative capacity to allow for social distancing. North Carolina and South Carolina rules for large gathering during COVID-19 vary.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster set rules In May for indoor and outdoor attractions, theaters and museums with limits at 50% capacity or less.
Outdoor amusement parks were allowed to reopen Oct. 2 at 30% capacity under North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 3 reopening plan. Indoor amusement park rides must remain closed.
And the park is hiring.
“We need about 600 people to run the event,” Stryker said. “Every associate will undergo a two-part COVID-19 safety training covering both the general park safety measures as well as safety measures specific to each functional area.”
Carowinds is a 400-acre theme park in the Fort Mill and Charlotte with more than 60 rides, shows and attraction along with a 26-acre waterpark. Carowinds is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. of Sandusky, Ohio.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Carowinds is reopening for the holiday season amid the COVID-19 pandemic."
