Kings Dominion to make holiday season comeback

Making a brief comeback before the end of 2020, Kings Dominion will reopen in December for a limited-time, limited-capacity holiday event after being closed for an entire summer season for the first time in its 45-year history, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., the amusement park in Hanover County’s Doswell area will be open on select dates between Dec. 5 through Dec. 27 for its Taste of the Season: An Outdoor Holiday Experience, which will include food tastings, themed areas, live shows and 16 park rides. 

The park announced in early August that it would remain closed this year due to Gov. Ralph Northam’s order that limits its capacity to 1,000 guests. Kings Dominion will maintain that capacity requirement and will require guests to make reservations prior to attending the park. Other COVID-19 precautions include a health screening 24 hours prior to the visit, a touchless temperature screening upon arrival and a requirement to wear face masks and maintain social distancing. Guests will also notice enhanced cleaning procedures and hand sanitizer stations at the park.

“This has been a challenging year for everyone, which is why we are ready and excited to welcome guests back to the park for some holiday cheer,” Kings Dominion Vice President and General Manager Tony Johnson said in a statement. “Kings Dominion has a comprehensive safety plan in place that has proven to be effective in all of our sister parks that were allowed to safely operate earlier this year. We can’t wait for families to return to the park and make treasured holiday memories safely.” Johnson, who started his career at the park in 1974, announced his 2021 retirement in late October. 

Kings Dominion has long been a major economic driver for Hanover, with 2018 reports showing that visitors to the park spent $258 million in the county on tourism, generating more than $5 million in tax revenue. The park typically hires approximately 4,000 seasonal workers for its summer season.

Kings Dominion is currently in the process of contacting employees who had been hired for the spring season to check for their availability to work in December, says Kings Dominion spokesperson Maggie Sellers.

“The number of staff required to operate Taste of the Season will be lower than the typical spring and summer season,” says Sellers, who declined to provide an estimated number of hires for the December opening. “We have hundreds of associates who have been waiting to work at Kings Dominion since the spring and we’re in the process of connecting with them. Once they’ve had a chance to confirm their availability, any remaining positions will be posted on our website.”

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