originally posted on 11/3/2025
Photo: Jackie Hodge. View full-sized image.
Santa’s Village Amusement and Water Park, a delightful family-oriented traditional North Pole-themed park in Dundee, Illinois, offers 22 rides and attractions, including three fun-for-all-ages roller coasters. In addition, the Village also offers a water park section during the summer months; playgrounds for the kids; games to play; farm animals, birds and fish; a petting zoo and even real reindeer grazing; and finally, a Polar Dome ice skating arena with public skating hours many weekends in the fall and winter months.
During the fall season, Santa’s Village boasts seasonal pumpkin patches, a Corn Play Pit, spooky houses, harvest menus and loads of scary Halloweenie stuff and characters on display throughout the park.
ERT was enjoyed on Super Cyclone and the Mega Velocity Scrambler.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
During this Halloweenie season at Santa’s Village, 28 enthusiasts attending the ACE Western Great Lakes Halloween Bash on October 11 enjoyed a full day at this marvelous park. Park General Manager Bryan Kopeck welcomed everyone at the park’s entrance and led them back to an early morning ERT on the Village’s biggest steel coaster, Super Cyclone (an Interpark Zyklon). As an extra treat, the nearby Scrambler, Mega Velocity, was opened for ERT as well.
Joy Pacelli and Liz Werth savored a ride on Super Cyclone.
Photo: Jackie Hodge. View full-sized image.
After the group photo in front of the Super Cyclone, attendees were welcome to enjoy the rest of the day at Santa’s Village and use the food voucher for a meal of choice at any of the park’s many eateries. A game voucher was offered for playing any of the park games.
The Stinky Feet game.
Photos: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
Tyler Les grasps the almost-bigger-than-he-is ducky prize he snared as one of the three winners.
View full-sized image.
And speaking of the games, everyone was encouraged to gather at 2 p.m. at the Stinky Feet game, during which players shoot a water pistol at a little duck’s (presumably stinky) feet. After a round of playoffs, winners won a huge rubber ducky as their prize.
The Blizzard.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
Santa's Village’s unique SVFD Engine No. 4 attraction lets riders be firefighters and use a short water hose to put out a small fire.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
There was plenty of time to check out the park’s many rides, such as its Blizzard swinging-pendulum thriller and the remarkable SVFD Engine No. 4. For the latter attraction, riders become firefighters. They hop into some large wagons with water hoses attached to each seat and are pulled by a fire engine past a burning shed, where they are encouraged to put out the fire. Unique, and fun.
Later, attendees participated in an informal takeover of Wacky Worm.
Photo: Jackie Hodge. View full-sized image.
In addition to Super Cyclone, another of the park’s coasters to ride was Farmer’s Fling, an SBF Visa Group spinning family steel coaster. And at 3 p.m. everyone gathered for an informal takeover of Santa’s Village’s third coaster, the Wacky Worm kiddie coaster (manufactured by Fajume).
General Manager Bryan Kopeck shows off the park's Polar Dome ice rink arena.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
After that, Kopeck took some attendees on a tour of the Village’s Polar Dome, the park’s 40,000-square-foot ice arena that can host hockey games, figure skating, special events and public skating.
Standing in front of the Bonehead Band skeletons on stage are the four leaders of ACE Western Great Lakes: Jeffery Peters, regional rep, and assistant reps Jackie Hodge, Jeremy Wdowicki and Scott Heck.
Photo: Randy Geisler. View full-sized image.
It was a very fun day with fellow enthusiasts at a really fine park. Gratitude for the day’s success was extended to the event’s main organizer, Jackie Hodge, ACE Western Great Lakes assistant regional rep, along with assistance from Jeff Peters, the regional rep, and Scott Heck and Jeremy Wdowicki, assistant regional reps.
— Randy Geisler
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