For 6th year, Silver Dollar City wins USA Today's 'Best Theme Park Holiday Event'
For the sixth year, Silver Dollar City has won USA Today's "Best Theme Park Holiday Event" for its annual An Old Time Christmas festival.
The entire amusement park is transformed into a holiday wonderland for An Old Time Christmas, which is held through Dec. 30. More than 6.5 million twinkling lights are hung throughout the park, accompanied by holiday-themed live shows, special family-friendly activities, and seasonal meals and desserts.
"Christmas is a such a special time for us, and we're grateful to our fans for highlighting The City as the nation's must-visit holiday destination," Silver Dollar City President Brad Thomas said in a news release. "The energy and joy our Citizens bring to our visitors create an unforgettable and immersive experience. There truly is no better or brighter place to spend the holidays with friends and family."
Special activities at the amusement park during An Old Time Christmas include the Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train and Rudolph's Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade. The park's Town Square features an eight-story animated Christmas tree and Midtown is covered in more than 1.5 million lights, with 50-foot light tunnels and towering trees.
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If you're a fan of Silver Dollar City's food, the park offers select dishes and treats during the festival, including an Eggnog Shake at Hannah's Ice Cream Parlor, Gingerbread Funnel Cake at Fanny's Funnel Cakes, Potato Leek Soup at Tastes of the City, Apple Dumpling with Cinnamon Ice Cream at the Apple Dumpling Stand and Hearty Beef Stew at Buckshot's Skillet Cookery.
Special live shows include The Living Nativity at the Dockside Theater, Tinker Junior's Toy Shop at Boatworks Theater and the Frontier Fa-La-La Follies at Silver Dollar Saloon.
Santa Claus will also be available for photos and visits at the park, including Lunch with Santa every Saturday from 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and every Sunday at 12:15 p.m. through Dec. 23.
Most of the activities and live shows held during An Old Time Christmas are included with Silver Dollar City admission.
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How other theme parks ranked in USA Today contest
Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas was up against 20 other nominations for "Best Theme Park Holiday Event." The "Best Theme Park Holiday Event" award is among USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice awards for 2023. Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts and 10Best editors which are then fielded to readers for voting. Readers were able to vote once per category, per day.
No. 2: SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration at various locations
No. 3: WinterFest at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio
No. 4: Hersheypark Christmas Candyland in Hershey, Pennsylvania
No. 5: Holiday in the Parks at Six Flags at various locations
No. 6: Christmastime at Santa's Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire
No. 7: Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
No. 8: Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia
No. 9: Holiday Lights at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
No. 10: Storybook Land Christmas Fantasy with Lights and Egg Harbor Township in New Jersey
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Silver Dollar City recognized as 'Best Theme Park Holiday Event'