Castle Park is adding a themed winter programme to its Riverside amusement offer, combining rides, performances and children’s activities during the holiday period.
Lucky Strike Entertainment-owned Castle Park is introducing “A Royal Holiday at Castle Park”, a seasonal experience designed to extend the Riverside amusement park’s family offer beyond its standard rides and attractions. The programme features a Royal Holiday Village with lights, festive treats, live entertainment and activities for children. It is scheduled to run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from November 28 through December 28, 2025, giving the park a concentrated calendar of holiday programming.
The centrepiece is a winter-themed village built around familiar seasonal rituals rather than a new ride system. Castle Park’s programme includes a Christmas tree lighting, snowfall effects, photo opportunities and live performances, alongside holiday versions of existing park experiences. The combination places the event within the broader tradition of amusement parks using limited-time programming to create a distinct reason for families to visit during school holidays and festive weekends.
The experience adds several layers of participation for different age groups. Children can take part in snowball play, ornament decorating and letter-writing for Santa and local service members, while entertainment includes handbell performers, youth choirs, strolling carolers and a dance party. Seasonal food options include Santa’s Cookie Cake, Frosty’s Funnel Cake and Rudolph’s Red-Nose Cocoa, with the park extending evening activity from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for lights, the Holiday Express and seasonal treats.
A Royal Holiday experience ticket includes access to Castle Park rides and unlimited mini golf during regular operating hours, as well as entry to Holiday Village activities from 3:00 p.m. The package also includes Santa photo opportunities, character meet-and-greets, snow play, the dance party and the Christmas tree lighting. Annual passholders receive complimentary admission, while children aged 12 and under visiting Santa receive a holiday prize; the first 50 annual passholder children each day are also eligible for a free-treat coupon.
The programme illustrates how a compact amusement destination can use seasonal storytelling, food and repeatable entertainment to broaden the value of an existing site without relying solely on permanent attractions. Castle Park says it operates more than 25 rides and attractions, four miniature golf courses and a video arcade, while seasonal events form part of its wider calendar. For Lucky Strike Entertainment, which owns Castle Park and operates location-based entertainment venues across North America, the holiday format connects the park’s rides and games with a more occasion-led family visit.
