originally posted on 10/21/2022
All Photos: Jeff Braziel. View full-sized image.
On Saturday, September 17, nearly 40 ACE members and guests gathered at Frontier City in Oklahoma City for the ACE South Central regional Frontier Fest event. Attendees were greeted at check-in by regional reps, volunteers and Aileen Garcia, marketing and public relations manager for Frontier City. Attendees were presented with a Frontier City string backpack, an event lanyard and badge (which also doubled as an unlimited skip-the-line pass for most attractions for the day) and a meal voucher to use at their leisure.
After gathering for a quick group photo, everyone entered the park and made their way to the classic Arrow shuttle coaster, Diamondback, for a morning ERT session. Diamondback, which started its life as Lightnin’ Loops at Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey), provided early morning thrills to get everyone’s day started. Riders enjoyed the unique experience offered by Arrow’s early design on shuttle coasters aboard a recently refurbished train.
Diamondback. View full-sized image.
After park opening, many attendees made their way to the Timber Town children’s area to get a quick ride on the park’s newest coaster, Frankie’s Mine Train. This Zamperla family coaster opened in 2019, replacing the Allen Herschell Wild Kitty. For most, this was a new credit on their ever-expanding list of coasters ridden.
At noon, everyone gathered in the park’s Wagon Wheel pavilion area for a special presentation. First, Garcia surprised everyone with complimentary frozen lemonade, which was very refreshing on a warm late summer day. Then Zach Vobornik, director of maintenance and operations, hosted a Q&A session, answering everyone’s questions about operations at the park. Vobornik has a long history with Frontier City and Six Flags, including Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. He was even a ride operator on the Wildcat during the infamous 1991 ACE Spring Conference and remembers the event very well (who could forget that epic ERT session that went past 3 a.m.?). The Q&A session concluded with three lucky attendees, Jason Granger, Mark Hoewisch and Mason Richardson, winning special door prize bundles supplied by Garcia and Frontier City.
Winners enjoyed door prize bundles provided by Frontier City. View full-sized image.
Following the Q&A session, everyone was treated to a special behind-the-scenes tour of the park’s two new haunted houses preparing to debut at this year’s Fright Fest event. Phobia explores all those things people are afraid of. Meanwhile, Death presents “a preview of the end.”
Frontier City’s Zach Vobornik escorts attendees to one of the park’s new haunts. View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
Following these tours, attendees were free to enjoy the park at their leisure, enjoying rides on the park’s many attractions, including the Vekoma family suspended coaster, Steel Lasso. Many used the opportunity to enjoy the park’s magic show or the classic gunfight stunt show in the Crackaxle Canyon theater.
At park closing, attendees gathered at Wildcat for evening ERT. Wildcat, at Frontier City since April 1991, originally operated at Fairyland Park in Kansas City. The National Amusement Device design, although modified from its original, is still enjoyed by coaster lovers and the public today. Members of ACE were influential in helping to secure the relocation of the coaster. While waiting briefly for their evening rides, members were able to enjoy the expansive “History of Roller Coasters” exhibit on display throughout the queue. Too soon, it was time to bid Wildcat and Frontier City goodbye.
Wildcat. View full-sized image.
View full-sized image.
The ACE South Central region dedicated this year’s Frontier Fest to the memory of Jay Jacobs, who was instrumental in reaching out to the park in early 2022 to start organizing our return. Special thanks also went to Chris Ozimek, regional director of marketing for Texas and Oklahoma Six Flags parks, who worked with the local Frontier City staff to plan this event. The hard work of Garcia, Vobornik and Ozimek, along with the hospitality shown by the entire Frontier City staff, made this an event to remember.
— Jeff Braziel, ACE South Central Assistant Regional Representative
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