Three new immersive themed events, along with a completely reimagined waterpark, will debut at California’s Great America in 2020 as the park presents new festivals, announces a parade and reintroduces several guest-favorite events for the upcoming year. The park reopens on March 21, promising “seasons of fun” for guests. Highlights from the 2020 event lineup include:
• NEW! Spring Fiesta – This three-weekend-long festival celebrates Hispanic culture with authentic food, live music and entertainment. Each weekend brings a different focus: Dia del Nino (April 25–26) offers kid-friendly crafts, games and activities; Cinco de Mayo (May 2–3) brings traditional, folkloric dance; and Latin Music Festival (May 9–10) showcases Bay Area performers.
• NEW! Monster Jam® Thunder Alley™ – Popular Monster Jam® trucks roll into Great America this summer, offering a larger-than-life experience where park guests can get nose-to-grille, sit inside and even take an adrenaline-charged ride in a Monster Jam truck. Meet-and-greets with drivers, a themed kids play area and the Monster Jam garage round out the limited-time event, which takes place June 20–July 12.
• Red, White & Brews – This returning summer festival brings classic family fun with live entertainment, gourmet barbecue and other traditional treats, craft beer, games and activities, and nightly fireworks. It takes place for three weekends, June 27–28, July 4–5 and July 11–12.
• NEW! Carnivale at Orleans Place – Authentic New Orleans food, glittering floats and costumed street performers come together in a unique nighttime festival that marries the best of Great America’s fan-favorite Taste of Orleans event with the excitement and vibrancy of Mardi Gras. Highlighting the festival is the Spectacle of Color full-scale parade, with extravagantly decorated floats and performers who draw the audience into the action. The exclusive event takes place nightly July 18–August 2.
• Halloween Haunt – One of the park’s most popular events, Halloween Haunt returns with a thrilling new haunted maze, new live shows and scare zones, and more monsters roaming the midways than ever before. It runs select nights in September and October.
• WinterFest – The Bay Area’s most immersive holiday event, WinterFest, returns this holiday season, bringing another season of themed entertainment, custom crafted food and drink, and holiday cheer to California’s Great America on select nights in November and December.
The all-new South Bay Shores waterpark, opening in early summer 2020, will bring a completely transformed waterpark experience to guests in the Bay Area. Seven new water attractions including four drop slides, two tube slides and a kid-friendly lagoon area will join upgraded private cabanas complete with fans, TVs and food and beverage service. Guests will also find new changing rooms and upgraded food and merchandise locations – all richly themed to reflect the beauty and excitement of the Northern California coast and South Bay regions. This transformation increases the waterpark’s acreage by approximately 50 percent, with more room to play and relax than ever before.
“This stellar lineup of events and the opening of South Bay Shores waterpark will make 2020 the year to experience California’s Great America like never before,” said Manny Gonzalez, vice president and general manager. “This year, our guests will be able to step into an incredible celebration of Hispanic culture, get up close and personal with some of Monster Jam’s biggest stars and experience the largest summertime event ever held at California’s Great America with its own captivating parade. These new additions to our park, along with our longstanding fan favorites, demonstrate our commitment to being the premier entertainment destination in the Bay Area.”