Trip Report - Texas - San Antonio - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Mardi Gras Festival

This was the first time I'd attended the Mardi Gras Festival at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and was really impressed by the offerings.

When you head toward the entrance, you will be greeted by a giant sign.

And you will find decorations throughout the park.

There are creole and cajun style treats throughout the park - look for these colorful displays. Look for the beignets (ben-yays) or the French-style donuts covered with powdered sugar. Also, if you purchased the dining package add-on for your ticket, some of the booths offer items that work with that program (look for the "M").

The Six Flags app lists the locations and times for live entertainment if you don't find the signs. The Big Easy Band was playing jazz hits near a nice sitting area where you can find adult beverages and some time to sit and enjoy. Right across this area was the kid's craft stations where they were making masks and coloring pages. There was also a family-friendly show featuring singing and acrobatics on the Texas Stage (near the center of the park). Looney Toons characters were roaming outside their photo studio wearing Mardi Gras colored accessories if you or your kids enjoy meet-and-greets.

Also, the staff at different rides and at the entrance booths were handing out beaded necklaces.

Lots of photo props throughout the park.

The highlight of the festival is the Mardi Gras Parade which runs through most of the park with guest interaction, music, and lots of fun. Good for the whole family.

Maardi Gras Festival February 7 – March 15

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, 17000 IH-10 West, San Antonio, TX 78257

Park is open weekends and daily through during Spring Break (March 9-15th plus March 19th-22nd)

For more information, click here: https://www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas/events/mardi-gras
You can also find a park map here: https://qr1.be/ZYX2

Travel - Maryland - Bowie - Six Flags America

Nestled in the small town of Bowie, Maryland (population currently under 60k) is Six Flags America, a park with a fifty-one year history. My family was fortunate enough to be able to visit this park twice - one in 2021 after reopening due to Covid, and yesterday.

Opened July 15, 1974 as a drive-through animal safari called The Wildlife Preserve (funded by Texas tycoon Ross Perot), which shuttered for a few years in the late ninteen seventies. In 1980 it re-opened as Wild World with this drive-through safari as well as a few amusement rides plus some water slides and play areas. In 1983 it expanded to include additional amusement rides and a large wave pool (which saw a very sad tragedy that summer). Soon thereafter the safari portion was removed and the park focused mainly on water features.

In 1985 the owners added back amusement park rides to make the park profitable in cooler months. The opportunity arose to purchase Paragon Park's wooden rollercoaster, Giant Coaster, which had been operating since 1917 and renamed it "The Wild One" which is still functioning at Six Flags America (although I personally thought it looked its age).

In the early 1990's with maintenance costs becoming too high, the park was sold to Tierco Group Inc who renamed the park "Adventure World" in 1994. Many improvements were made to the park including adding new rides including Intamin's free-fall drop-tower ride now called Voodoo Drop. Tierco Group Inc (renamed Premier Parks) acquired the Six Flags amusement park chain in 1998 and renamed "Adventure World" to "Six Flags America" in 1999. They also added Looney Tunes and DC characters to assist with a push in marketing and theming. In 2000, Superman: Ride of Steel opened (and its the most popular ride in the park). In 2001, the water park area was renamed "Six Flags Hurricane Harbor" and renovated.

In 2014, the park re-themed an area with Mardi Gras in addition to a new coaster, Ragin' Cajun.

In 2016, a twenty-four story ride named Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth was added and its the tallest ride in the park.

For the 2019 season, the previous Apocalypse ride was rebranded Firebird and converted into a floorless coaster.

Sadly, when Six Flags and Cedar Fair corporations merged just last year, everyone knew the new entity would probably start closing some of its forty-plus parks. Although Six Flags America had just invested a large amount into a new water coaster and re-theming an area into SteamTown (a fun steam punk theme), the corporation announced in May of this year, just before the start of summer season, that they would be closing Six Flags America. Hurricane Harbor (which is inside the park) closed September 6th while Six Flags America will close November 2nd.

Our visit coincided with kid-friendly albeit scaled-down Boo Fest which consisted of a trick-or-treat trail, some stage and street entertainment shows, a very short parade with costumed entertainers handing out beaded necklaces. They were not running Fright Fest and the park closed at 6pm. My youngest child thought the trick-or-treat trail inside the dark, black-lit repurposed haunted house was too scary. The halloween stage show had creepy-looking costumes and the pumpkin decorating cost $5.00. There were Boo Fest special food items for sale at the nearby counter services.

November 1st and 2nds are the last days the park will be open, 11am CST to 7:00pm CST on Saturday and until 6:00pm CST on Sunday. Pretty sure the last day will be the busiest. The stores are already clearancing out all their merchandise so there might not be anything left at that point.

For more information: sixflags.com/america

Travel - Oklahoma - Oklahoma City - Six Flags Frontier City - Fright Fest and Boo Fest

Since there were only a few days left for Fright Fest, our family decided to endure the loooong 3 hour drive from our home in Dallas to visit Frontier City just outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We drove up Interstate 35 which has a lot of construction going on - even through the night - so beware of closed lanes and slow trucks.

One note is that the park doesn't have clear signage on where guests should enter along the road. After you exit I-35 you will go along E Hefner Rd. Pass N. Coltrane Rd which is actually one of the the parking lot exits. the actual entrance is just past the park to an entry sign. Parking is either $30 for standard or $40 for premium, but the parking lot is really small so there is no need to upgrade to the higher priced parking unless you have the need.

During the day from 1pm to 4pm CST (but they closed up most activities before 3:30pm) children can participate in Boo Fest throughout the Happy Trails children's area. Start at the first stop on the left and ask for a treat bag. Then go stop-to-stop for fun Halloween-themed crafts, games or more candy. One note is none of the candy contains chocolate and many of the candies were really sticky (like airheads). I recommend bringing your own bag because the bags are not easy to carry and they are also too small to hold any of your crafts, OR, one of the craft stations has large white paper bags to decorate you can use (but they are hard to carry around too).

One craft station features pumpking decorating with paint markers. You grab a pumpking and head up the stairs (or walk a few feet over to the ramp up) to tables that have TONS of paint markers to use.

Throughout the area are decorated pumpkins that small kids can climb inside or face-cut-out photo props.

At the end of the Happy Trails area (right next to the restrooms) is a fun Little Monster Maze. Note, there are only 2 days left for Boo Fest - October 25th and 26th.

Fright Fest starts around 6:00pm CST and ends at 10:00pm CST Friday through Sunday. The last day for Fright Fest this year is November 1st. Fright Fest is included in the price of your entrance but the Haunted Attractions are not. You can buy a combo ticket (entry + Haunted Attractions) or an add-on Haunted Attractions pass online or at the gate. There are five haunted mazes, several scare zones and some Halloween-Themed shows. Like other parks, the scare zones are easy to find with the fog machines blowing out clouds of fog and black lighting.

One thing that was different at Frontier City's Fright Fest than other parks I've attended recently was the Fright Fest Parade (which isn't advertised online and I only found out when they started blocking the street). You will see several themed cars (like above) and most of the entertainers who are working the festival. Just a note, many of the entertainers target young kids and those who look scared. There are loud noises (chainsaws and metal scraping the cement) and some screaming. I'd keep younger kids away from the main street just in case.

Although there are not a lot of food options throughout the park (and note, Wild Bill's Chicken is currently closed) they did offer some Fright Fest specialty items for sale (or as part of your add-on Dining Pass).

The Pumpkin Patch snack was delicious (I mean, it's fried donut balls, of course it would be delicious). Bring patience as the food locations are understaffed. The Fort is the main dining hall with options plus drink refill area and a central restroom location. Avoid the back room with broken-down and non-working arcade machines.

The Fort also hosted a magic show (at 4pm CST and 5:30pm) and then freak shows afterwards. There are also some live entertainment shows across the way (near the spinning rides) but they are short so get there early to not miss the fun.

Overall, it was a good visit for a small park with enough to keep older and younger kids entertained and fed.

Address: 11501 N-I35 Service Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73131
For more info: https://www.sixflags.com/frontiercity