At WinterFest, the amusement park has transformed into 11 enchanting winter wonderlands featuring ice skating on the Royal Fountain, the WinterFest Wonderland Parade and the Eiffel Tower has turned into a magical Christmas tree. Plus, guests will experience up to 20 rides including Mystic Timbers and Kings Mills Antique Autos. The experience features more than five million lights. For a complete schedule, details and pricing, go to www.visitkingsisland.com. Discounts are available when purchasing tickets online. A few of the activities require an additional fee, such as Snow Flake Lake Ice Skating on International Street. (Experience unlimited WinterFest visits with a 2023 Gold Pass.) Open select nights through Sat., Dec. 31. The Tree Lighting Ceremony with Snoopy and the Kings Island Holiday Singers on International Street will kick-off WinterFest nightly at 5:30 p.m.
PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo is open through Sun., Jan. 8
The Cincinnati Zoo has transformed into a “Wild Wonderland” for the 40th annual PNC Festival of Lights. Come early to visit the animals and stay for the lights. In addition to admiring the beauty of four million LED lights, visitors can find the five Fiona fairies in Fairyland, take in a blacklight puppet show and marvel at the Wild Lights show on Swan Lake, or snack at one of two S’mores-n-More stands. Plus, guests can ring in the New Year at the Cincinnati Zoo with PNC Festival of Lights with a kid-friendly, early countdown. Hours are Sunday through Thursday until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. Various ticket packages are available. Guests can take advantage of Plan-Ahead Pricing online. Go to www.cincinnatizoo.org to plan a visit. The zoo is open daily at 10 a.m. Festival of Lights activities begin at 4 p.m. North Polar Express train ride start at 2:30 p.m. Festival of Lights is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum will present Journey Borealis through Sun., Jan. 1
Journey Borealis (www.journeyborealis.com) is an artful adventure that invites visitors on a magical journey to the North Pole as guests drive-through the 2-5-mile attraction with more than a million lights and scenic displays. Journey Borealis will run through Sun., Jan. 1, 2023. “I’m excited to see how the lights have grown over the past few years,” said Sarah Templeton Wilson, development director at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. “This has been a tradition in my family, and it’s been a lot of fun.” City of Hamilton Nights will also return this year. Every Tuesday night, admission will be free for City of Hamilton residents. Proof of residency is required and defined as 45011, 45013 and 45015 zip codes. Guests should bring a driver’s license, utility bill, or government issued ID to the park to receive the free admission on Tuesdays. Journey Borealis will be open from Tuesday through from Thursday 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. During the day, the park will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for regular Pyramid Hill admission. (Pyramid Hill will be closed to the public on Monday evenings this year to allow for “Walk the Lights” holiday event rentals.) Regular admission prices per carload for Journey Borealis are $15 every night for Pyramid Hill members. Non-members are $25 per carload. For more details, visit www.journeyborealis.com.
Light Up Middletown will be open through New Year’s Eve, Sat., Dec. 31
Celebrating its 23rd year, many area families continue to make Light Up Middletown a part of their annual holiday tradition. Middletown’s popular drive-through light display offers themed displays, such as a floating Sea Serpent in the reflecting lake, Whales giving Santa’s Reindeer a ride, Santa’s Workshop, an American Flag and so much more. The display is open nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. through New Year’s Eve, including holidays and regardless of the weather. Admission by donation. (You set the price.) Light Up Middletown is located at Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave. in Middletown. More info at www.lightupmiddletown.org.
Christmas at EnterTRAINment Junction runs through Sun., Jan. 1
Visitors will enjoy 80,000 square feet of holiday fun, all under one roof, all in a climate-controlled environment. This includes the world’s largest indoor G-Scale model train display, the imaginative Journey to the North Pole, where guests can see the reindeer stables, an elves’ workshop and visit Santa and Ms. Claus. (Santa goes on vacation after Christmas.) Plus, all the other EnterTRAINment Junction attractions are part of the holiday-time experience, including the popular, hand-built 1,000-sq. ft. replica of the historic Coney Island Amusement Park, the weird-and-wacky A-Maze-N FunHouse, one of the world’s largest and most complete marble displays, a giant kids’ interactive play area and the American Railroading Museum. EnterTRAINment Junction is located at 7379 Squire Ct., in West Chester Twp. Open daily through Jan.1 (closed Christmas Day). Special extended hours until 8 p.m. on selected days (check the website for details). Admission packages start at $9.95. Free parking. For more information, call (513) 898-8000, or visit www.entertrainmentjunction.com.
About the Author
