Carowinds lays off workers ahead of season opening, similar to another Six Flags park
Carowinds laid off workers ahead of the opening season in March and just six months after Cedar Fair and Six Flags Entertainment Corp. merged.
Carowinds spokesman Chris Foshee on Wednesday confirmed an unspecified number of job cuts in Charlotte.
“We made a strategic decision to adjust our staffing levels to better align with future operational needs,” Foshee said by email. “This includes a restructuring of some roles.”
Carowinds refused to say how many workers are impacted and from what type of roles.
Carowinds’ layoffs come on the heels of sister park Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, cutting an unspecified number of jobs across all departments last week, news outlets reported.
In July, Six Flags and Carowinds’ parent company Cedar Fair closed on an $8 billion merger. Combined under Six Flags, the headquarters is now at 8701 Red Oak Blvd., about five miles northeast of Carowinds, in Charlotte. Carowinds is a 400-acre amusement park that straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina border in Charlotte and Fort Mill, S.C.
At the time of the merger, Cedar Fair, based in Sandusky, Ohio, had about 4,400 full-time employees and 48,800 seasonal. Six Flags, based in Arlington, Texas, had about 1,450 full-time employees and 41,000 seasonal employees.
Carowinds is hiring for seasonal employees paying $11 to $15.50 an hour for jobs including ride operators, security, food and beverage, lifeguards, games and admissions, according to the company’s LinkedIn page. The park will hold hiring Feb. 15-22 when applicants can apply and be hired the same day.
What’s been happening at Carowinds
On Wednesday, Carowinds announced its 2025 season will open March 15 with new festival events planned.
Camp Snoopy children’s area also will have a new roller coaster and a raft ride, plus splash zones as previously announced.
Just last month, Six Flags announced a teardown of some legacy rides at its parks, including Nighthawk, Drop Tower and Scream Weaver at Carowinds. Six Flags said the “changes are an important part of our growth.”
In November, Six Flags said it would invest more than $1 billion over two years at its 42 theme parks on upgrades, including new restaurants and menus.
In 2026, a “record-breaking water ride” will open. Details about the ride have not been released.
Were you laid off from Carowinds or do you have information on the layoffs? The Charlotte Observer wants to hear from you. Contact reporter Kitty Muccigrosso at 704-358-5198 or cmuccigrosso@charlotteobserver.com
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.