Carowinds Announces New Scarowinds And Great Pumpkin Fest Parades
Even though temps continue to soar into the 90s, Fall is right around the corner. And, one popular destination in the Carolinas is Carowinds Amusement Park. So, the first thing we think of at Carwowinds this time of year is Scarowinds and The Great Pumpkin Fest. And, I received the email this week including an announcement that Carowinds is introducing two new parades to go with the seasonal lineup.
Of course, The Great Pumpkin Fest gears toward younger kids. And, the Carowinds “Tricks and Treats Parade” coinciding with this event takes place in daytime hours. The park announcement describes the parade as a “roving celebration of Halloween’s magic and wonder.”
On the other hand, Scarowinds activities skew a bit older to teens and tweens. So, the “Procession of Nightmares” is a nighttime parade. And, the email unveiling this event describes it as “a convoy of grotesque characters with mesmerizing effects and bone-chilling music.”
Scarowinds has been a big event at Carowinds for many years. And, the schedule runs select nights in September and October each year. Plus, The Great Pumpkin Fest also takes place in September and October on weekends. And, before you know it Winterfest will open November 17.
And, for those who want the adventure to continue overnight, Carowinds offers a Scarowinds Camp Wilderness Getaway package. It’s advertised as a chance to stay overnight close to the action and enjoy discounted admission. And, who wouldn’t want to “dream where you scream” as they say?
I remember very well when our son first started going to Scarowinds with his middle school friends. All the kids had a blast. And, the parents took rotating turns with drop off and pick up. Of course, make sure you check current chaperone policies at Carowinds before you plan your trip. Happy Fall y’all!
All 13 Of Carowinds Roller Coasters Ranked
August 16th is National Roller Coaster Day. And here in the Carolinas, yes both Carolinas, we are lucky enough to have some incredible roller coasters. As a kid who loved thrill rides, I used to dream of going to Cedar Point one day to ride some of the world’s best coasters. Little did I know that Cedar Point’s parent company, Cedar Fair, would purchase Carowinds years later and start to bring those world-class roller coasters to my own backyard. Pretty fun right? Since Cedar Fair took over the park we’ve seen lots of changes. These include a water park expansion, fair-type rides, and of course new record-breaking coasters.
And they really have put Carowinds on the map. The last time I was there, there was actually a huge group of roller coaster enthusiasts from around the world that came here specifically to go to Carowinds. It has become a destination theme park. Which is pretty cool and great for the economy in both of the Carolinas. But back to the coasters at Carowinds. Counting kiddie coasters there are 13 roller coasters in the park. Some have been there since I was a kid, and others are relatively new. The newest coaster Carowinds has is Copperhead Strike a launch coaster which numerous inversions that opened in March of 2019.
A few of my rankings you may not agree with, and that’s ok this is just my personal opinion as someone who has grown up in Charlotte and gone to Carowinds a fair number of times. I don’t frequent that often anymore, maybe once a year if friends want to go, but I’ll always love getting on my favorite rides. So keep reading to see all 13 of Carowinds’ roller coasters ranked. Want to see a full ranking on every ride open in 2022 at Carowinds? You can read that here.
Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.
