Lake Winnepesaukah celebrates birthday

Park goers enjoy the paratrooper ride at Lake Winnie, while, top left, others get a view of the park aboard the Alpine lift. (Duane Sherrill photo)

Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park has been a home for excitement, thrills and family fun for generations. This summer, as guests enjoy the park’s 80th Birthday Celebration, Lake Winnepesaukah has unveiled several new attractions to delight visitors of all ages. With four new rides, a fantastic new food court and even a surprise from the Wild West, the South’s favorite family amusement park is having a party like no other.

“We are very proud that the park has created smiles and lasting memories for 80 years,” offered Talley Green of Lake Winnepesaukah. Green’s great-grandparents, Carl and Minette Dixon, started the amusement park as a picnic grove and swimming area in 1925. “We’ve grown over the years. The park has over 35 rides now, including the famous Cannon Ball Roller Coaster, and we’re the home for the Jukebox Junction Summer Concert Series. However, our goal is the same as it was in 1925, creating a place where families and guests can laugh and play the day away.”

For the first time this summer, guest can fly aboard the new Wave Swinger. Located on the shore of the park’s nine-acre lake, the new ride lifts guests into the air and lets them glide through the wind. “It’s a gorgeous addition to our lineup,” added Green, “and the view as you soar over the water is incredible.”

The Wave Swinger isn’t the only place to get a heightened view of the lake. The park welcomes a new and larger Ferris wheel this summer. Nearly twice the size of the park’s previous model, the new Ferris wheel not only holds more riders and lifts them higher into the sky than ever before, but it also shines brightly through the evening sky at Lake Winnepesaukah.

Young riders will enjoy two new special treats. The Bumble Bees allow younger guests to fly on the back of a bumble bee, or they can ride the waving seas aboard The Whale. “Lake Winnepesaukah is a family amusement park. We want families to be able to have fun together while they’re here,” offered Green. “Both The Bumble Bees and The Whale rides can accommodate both parents and children together.”

One thing all guests will delight in is the fantastic new food court. Located next to the new Ferris wheel, the new food court is packed with delicious treats and refreshing drinks, along with upper deck seating featuring panoramic lake views. Families can also test their skills at the all new Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery. Guests can aim their rifle and try their marksmanship with every successful shot revealing a new surprise. The Wild west has never been so much fun as at the gallery.

“It’s a birthday party, we want everyone to enjoy the festivities,” stated Green. With the new additions and nonstop family excitement, Lake Winnepesaukah is holding an unforgettable 80th birthday celebration. Admission to Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park is only $3. An unlimited ride pass is regularly available for only $19 and parking is always free. Guests under 21 years of age must be accompanied by a guest 21 or over and must purchase an all day ride pass or a value strip of 14 tickets for $10. Or, they must be a member of a chaperoned group.

Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park has been recognized as one of “America’s Top Ten Family Amusement Parks” by Travel and Leisure Magazine. For more information, visit us at www.lakewinnie.com or call 1-877-LAKEWIN.