originally posted on 11/10/2023
Photo: Chris Nicoli. View full-sized image.
A long-range weather forecast for finicky fall weather turned out to be a very false alarm for the 55 ACE members and guests attending ACE Screeems at Canobie Lake Park in Salem, New Hampshire, on October 15. The park was also holding its annual ScreeemFest, which, as most Halloween-themed festivities, draws huge crowds. To avoid the crowds, the event was held on a Sunday, and the plan worked.
Canobie Lake park is always a beautiful sight to behold, especially on a crisp October morning.
Photo: Rus Ozana. View full-sized image.
Mostly sunny skies, a brisk breeze and mid-50s temperatures greeted all for the morning check-in, with the breeze making a mess of the neatly arranged name badges and other admission materials. Immediately before checking in, attendees played “Guess the Attendance” with their name and estimate written on a ticket. A drawing would be held later with a special prize for the winner. With their name badges, admission tickets, wristbands and Screeem Express passes (good for all five haunts) in hand, it was time to enter the park.
The day began with ERT on the park’s Yankee Cannonball wood coaster — a longtime favorite of ACE members.
Photo: Rus Ozana. View full-sized image.
Photo: Rus Ozana. View full-sized image.
The event began at noon, starting with an hour of ERT on the ACE Roller Coaster Landmark Yankee Cannonball and Untamed, a Euro-Fighter from Gerstlauer. Multiple rides on both coasters in that one hour were possible with the small number of attendees.
Having had their morning coaster fix, attendees gathered for the second favorite activity of most ACE members – a group meal! Held in the Dancehall Theater, the offerings included pizza, garden salad, potato salad, cookies, bottled water and soft drinks.
As attendees were finishing their lunches, Regional Representative Rus Ozana took to the stage to welcome the group with assorted announcements. He acknowledged six new-in-’23 members in attendance, several attendees who were visiting Canobie for the very first time, and others who were attending their very first ACE event! He also announced some personal news: his decision to retire as regional representative at the end of 2023. (The new rep will be announced soon.)
Submissions for “Guess the Attendance” were checked, and although no one guessed the exact amount, two guesses tied with estimates of 54. Ozana went out into the audience, held the tickets above the head of one person and instructed that person to pick one. Matt Shostack won the 2023 ScreeemFest shirt.
The awarding of door prizes by random drawing was followed by the appearance of Canobie’s Brands Manager Chris Nicoli, who spoke of assorted improvements, plans (and foiled plans) in and around the park, and answered several questions from the group. He congratulated Ozana on the decision to hold a Sunday event, as not only were the crowds lighter than on a Friday or Saturday, but also with a closing time of 9 p.m., most of the general public hits the haunts early, and by 8 p.m. or so, the lines are incredibly short. With Screeem Express passes, attendees were able to visit the haunts at the busiest times, then complete a second, more leisurely, walk through them later in the evening.
After a group photo, all were led to a behind-the-scenes tour of the newest haunt in the park, “Cargo,” an incredibly themed haunt/maze that included not only large, steel shipping containers, but also a couple of rather large boats with outboard motors still attached.
With the scheduled activities now complete, the whole park, its rides and shows, were waiting to be experienced.
Deepest thanks and appreciation were extended to Nicoli and the entire Canobie team for a great event!
— Rus Ozana, ACE New England Regional Representative
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