When Santa’s Village Amusement & Water Park opens for the season next week, it will be adding three new rides to its expanding list of attractions and hosting a special appearance by the Jolly Old Elf himself.
“We’ll be having a special rope drop with Santa as we begin our new season as well as other festivities throughout the day,” park spokeswoman Lindsay Kosanovich said of the opening celebration on Saturday, May 17.
The new attractions this year are:
- Lil’ Monster Rally, an umbrella ride with a monster-themed twist, but suitable for younger thrill-seekers.
- Reindeer Rocker, a swinging platform ride designed for both kids and adults.
- Coconut Competition, a four-lane water slide set up for family-friendly competitions.
The Reindeer Rocker was acquired from an amusement park in New Jersey, and the Lil’ Monster Rally comes from a park in Texas, Kosanovich said.
“Both of these rides are being rethemed to fit the magic of Santa’s Village,” she said. “The Coconut Competition is a newly constructed waterslide addition to our water park Santa Springs.”
The amusement park, which first opened in 1959, now holds more than 20 mechanical rides, including three roller coasters, a virtual reality ride and the North Pole Expedition, which debuted last season.
The North Pole Expedition was acquired from an amusement park in New Jersey and nevamped for use in East Dundee. It travels both inside and outside of a building, taking guests on a journey to the North Pole. Scenes include Candy Cane Gardens, the Elf Percolating International Coffee (E.P.I.C.) Bakery and North Pole Town Square.
In 2023, the park opened Pirates Revenge, a reimagining of a classic swinging ship that had been a staple attraction at the park since it first opened; Farmer’s Fling, a family-friendly spinning coaster; and Spearmint Twist, body slide added at Santa Springs Water Park.
“With all these attractions and a petting zoo, there’s something for everyone,” Kosanovich said. “Plus, our water park Santa Springs will open this year on May 24, and both parks are included with general admission.”
Adding attractions is an indication of the park’s ongoing and growing success, she said.
“We saw a healthy boost in our attendance last season, while still maintaining manageable wait times for all of our attractions,” Kosanovich said. “We also extended our season last fall with the Santa’s Village Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival, which will run again this season from Sept. 6 to Oct. 26.”
The park also offers a drive-thru Christmas season holiday lights display. This January it also reopened the seasonally operated Polar Dome ice rink and Alpine Lounge.
The rink dates back to February 1963 and closed in 2005, when the park was shuttered after 66 years. New owner Jason Serpien reopened the venue in 2010, and has been gradually reinvigorating the operation ever since.
“We are now three seasons of fun here at Santa’s Village, offering summer, fall and winter activities,” Kosanovich said. “The key to keeping the magic alive at Santa’s Village is adding new and exciting attractions while holding onto the nostalgia that so many of us Chicago area kids remember from our childhood.”
Season passes to the park are $89.99. Guests under 36 inches in height receive free admission. For hours and other information, go to santasvillagedundee.com.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
