ACE Western Pennsylvania: ACE Holiday Magic 2021

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originally posted on 1/21/2022 1:52:03 AM

Photo: Garrett Sauers. View full-sized image.

After a two-year gap, ACE Holiday Magic at Kennywood was back! The West Mifflin park canceled its annual Holiday Lights season in 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak and in 2019 decided not to open for weather-related reasons the night of ACE’s event.

Scheduled for November 30, 2021, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, ACE Holiday Magic welcomed the holiday season. This informal event — the last Western Pennsylvania regional event of the year — must have been anticipated by many because 95 people checked in by 4:30 p.m. at Guest Services to pick up the required wristband for ERT and the scheduled tour. Kennywood also offered discounted tickets to those who didn’t have season passes.

Photo: Lee Ann Draud. View full-sized image.

New for 2021’s Holiday Lights, Jack Rabbit was scheduled to run when temperatures allowed. Kennywood had never operated a wood coaster so late in the year, so rides on this ACE Coaster Classic and ACE Roller Coaster Landmark would be a first. Temperatures in the 30s that night didn’t dampen attendees’ enthusiasm but did result in ERT on Jack Rabbit being canceled because it was too cold for the coaster to run. No ERT was unfortunate, but this year’s event promised another first: a behind-the-scenes tour inside The Exterminator!

ACEers head inside The Exterminator.
Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.

Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.

At 5 p.m. attendees were led to The Exterminator building, where they filed in, carefully avoiding obstacles, to see the tracks, structures and some of the props used for this Reverchon spinning wild mouse coaster that operates in the dark. Attendees smirked at the sight of all the hats collected in a cabinet, lost by those who didn’t believe that the ride would remove them. It was a real treat to see the ins and outs and ups and downs of the way the twisted track moved on different levels through the building.

Photo: Bill Linkenheimer III. View full-sized image.

Photo: Lee Ann Draud. View full-sized image.

Regional Rep Bill Linkenheimer III updates attendees about the schedule.
Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.

This year ACE was invited to take part in the tree lighting ceremony, which happens after dark. Chris and Katie Grella, along with their five children, represented ACE and were responsible for throwing the switch that lit the tallest tree in Pennsylvania.

After the tour, attendees made their way to Journey with Thomas for expedited boarding on the park’s train. There was a wait, because Thomas had some difficulty returning to the station from an earlier ride, but eventually everyone got on board. It was now dark, so the bright lights all through the park could be appreciated.

Informal takeover times (ITOTs) were scheduled for Ghostwood Estate, Noah’s Ark, the holiday light show around the lagoon, Auto Race, the miniature train display in the Penny Arcade and the Merry-Go-Round. Other flat rides open included Pirate and some in Kiddieland and Thomas Town. A regular attraction at Holiday Lights, the extensive miniature train display is set up by the Pennsylvania Independent Hi-Railers and includes multiple trains and settings ranging from nature to town attractions to amusement park rides.

Photo: Sarah Windisch. View full-sized image.

Since it was a cold night, attendees welcomed the fact that the Parkside Café was open with new holiday foods and warm beverages. If those didn’t raise temperatures sufficiently, Regional Rep Bill Linkenheimer III was available with complimentary hand warmers. Santa was on the scene and eager for visits, and the gift shops offered major discounts on Kennywood merchandise.

Anyone whose eyes were open could see that Holiday Lights didn’t get its name randomly. In addition to the synchronized music/light show around the lagoon, more than one million lights illuminated the grounds, trees, structures and rides, so just marveling over the spectacular lights and lighting displays was part of the fun. The Santa and reindeer lighting display was moved this year from Thunderbolt’s lift hill to an arch of The Steel Curtain track over the midway, where visitors couldn’t miss seeing it.

Photo: Lee Ann Draud. View full-sized image.

Even though ERT on Jack Rabbit was canceled because of the temperature, attendees were excited about the fact that it’s now possible to ride this classic coaster in December. December! We are far from the olden days in the Northeast and Midwest when Labor Day closed the parks until the following spring. Attendees at ACE Holiday Magic were grateful to the ACE Western Pennsylvania regional rep team and to Kennywood for planning this great start to the holiday season.

— Lee Ann Draud, ACE Publications Director