We won King’s Dominion Winterfest tickets in a raffle this year and we were so excited to check out the event! We go to Busch Gardens Christmas Town every year but it was nice to see what King’s Dominion had up their sleeves. Here is an overview of King’s Dominion Winterfest.
King’s Dominion Winterfest Hours
Unfortunately, the park is only open from 5-10 in the evening. This made it a little tough as we live 2 hours away and would rather have more time during the day. We ended up driving home after we left the park and the kids slept in the car.
Entrance
When we arrived in the parking lot, we could see so many lights already! There were trees with lights in the parking lot and there was a gigantic Christmas tree. It was breathtaking and would do light shows with the music that was playing.
King’s Dominion Winterfest had so much holiday warmth
As soon as we entered the park, we were amazed by all the lights on the buildings on the main strip. There were white lights on all the buildings outlining them and most of the stores had transformed into Christmas stores.
Ice Skating
There was a large ice skating rink in front of the Eiffel Tower. This is usually a huge fountain, but they obviously drain it for the event. People were renting skates and gliding around with their group. We did not partake since we only had 5 hours at the park, but I imagine if you lived nearby and were a passholder it would be perfect!
Tree Lighting
There is a tree lighting ceremony in front of the Eiffel Tower at 5:15 so the performers sing carols and count down until the tree lights up.
It was a fun experience to start our evening and a chance to just stare at the Eiffel Tower tree. You could see the “tree” throughout the entire park and many times we just found ourselves drawn to it.
King’s Dominion Winterfest Rides
After that, we went right over to Planet Snoopy and got the kids on some rides. However, several of the rides in that part of the park were not running.
It was a little disappointing since our kids had never been there before. But, there were several rides the kids were interested in and so many beautiful lights around, no one seemed to mind.
Only about half of the park was open to the event, but we were still able to go to Candy Apple Grove and ride the Carousel as a family. We wanted to ride the Ferris wheel but couldn’t tell if it was open. It appeared to be running once and a while and in spurts but we wandered off.
Twisted Timbers (one of my favorite roller coasters) and Dominator were also running, but with the long wait time, we didn’t feel like it was in our best interest to try these tonight.
Arcade
We went into an arcade in Candy Apple Grove and it seemed like over half of the games were broken. For example, every time we went to swipe our card, the games didn’t seem to work.
Unfortunately, this part of King’s Dominion was a let down
The man working in the arcade gave us a free game when the machines took our money and he was very nice about the whole situation. We probably could have skipped this part of the park. Furthermore, that arcade needs a little TLC.
Jack’s Frost Zone
We came across Let it Snow in Jack’s Frost Zone behind the Eiffel tower. They had set up snow machines to go off every few minutes and blow it into the air. The kids loved this and as we walked through the area (lit by white lights) and, in addition, there were many photo ops.
King’s Dominion App
We used the app to help navigate the park. For example, the app has an interactive map, and many other features that were helpful that evening.
Lights everywhere
King’s Dominion did a great job of putting lights everywhere in the park. For instance, we felt that it looked like someone had gone through and decorated the trees like someone would in their own yard. Above all, we loved the feel of the park and felt like we fit in with our light up necklaces.
King’s Dominion Winterfest Shows
There were many show and performers strolling throughout the park. We made sure to see the Snoopy Show in the King’s Dominion Theater. The singers and dancers were very talented and it gave us a chance to sit down after walking around the park for a few hours.
Photo Ops
We noticed many photo ops in the park as we went around and you could find them in every area of the park.
Parade
King’s Dominion Winterfest had so many entertainment options throughout the park
The evening ended with a parade that began at Candy Apple Grove and went all the way to the front. We enjoyed watching and they even threw candy and Mardi Gras beads at us. After the parade, they led a sing along by the Eiffel Tower.
Overall, we were impressed by King’s Dominion’s effort to put on a holiday event. We enjoyed the lights the most and had a great time. I wish the event hours were a little longer and there were more rides for the kids open but that is just how it was the night we were there.
Have you ever tried Winterfest? What was your favorite part? Do you ever spend any time in the Richmond area?
Other Helpful Links:
How to Enjoy Richmond in Two Days
Why You Need to Visit Lewis Ginter
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Tips for Kids
How to Save Money at Busch Gardens