Carowinds sets opening date, with new event spotlighting Carolinas food and music
Carowinds amusement park will reopen next month, with a new event and hiring about 2,000 seasonal employees.
The theme park that straddles North Carolina and South Carolina in Charlotte and Fort Mill, respectively, will open March 12. Season passholders’ preview night is March 11, according to Carowinds website.
Carolina Harbor water park at Carowinds will open May 27.
Hiring is underway for jobs including rides, merchandise and games, park services, food and beverage, admissions, safety and security, and entertainment.
Hourly pay starts at $15 an hour, according to Carowinds. Last year, the park raised the hourly wage from $10 and $13 an hour to $15 to compete for workers amid the labor shortage during the COVID pandemic.
What’s new?
Calling this year the “Seasons of Fun,” Carowinds will open with new décor and entertainment throughout the park.
Among the new events is the State Line Celebration, including food, local brews and musicians of the Tar Heel and Palmetto states. It runs April 9-May 8.
Grand Carnivale also will return June 25-July 10. Started last year, the international festival includes foods and music from around the world as a block party and parades.
A new event called Tricks and Treats Fall Fest will run Sept. 17-Oct. 30 Saturdays and Sundays for families and children of all ages with fall activities, games and game shows, music entertainment and traditional trick-or-treating.
About the park
Carowinds is a 400-acre amusement park with more than 60 attractions, live stage shows and rides, including Fury 325, the world’s tallest and fastest giga coaster, a rollercoaster between 300 and 399 feet tall.
Fury 325 can reach speeds of up to 95 mph during its 81-degree plunge, according to Carowinds. The coaster stands 325 feet tall, or about 20 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty.
Carolina Harbor, a 26-acre waterpark, features water slides, wave pools and a 3-acre children’s play area.
Park accommodations include Carowinds Camp Wilderness and SpringHill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds .
The park is owned by Cedar Fair in Sandusky, Ohio.
Last week, Cedar Fair confirmed it had received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment to purchase all of its parks for $3.4 billion. The Cedar Fair Board of Directors is reviewing the proposal, the company said in a statement.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story had the wrong date for when Carolina Harbor water park will open. It is May 27.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 11:46 AM.