California’s Great America became the first California theme park to have a reopening date in 2021, after remaining closed throughout the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Santa Clara amusement park set May 22 as a reopening date, according to a park announcement.
“Our scheduled opening date is May 22,” California’s Great America officials said in an e-mail. “We continue to monitor state guidelines and work with industry and government officials to ensure that our reopening plans meet all required health and safety regulations.”
California theme parks are not expected to reopen until spring or summer, in accordance with COVID-19 health and safety reopening guidelines issued by the state. Major theme parks like California’s Great America may reopen as soon as the counties in which they reside reach the least restrictive yellow / minimum level 4 risk of Blueprint for Governor Gavin Newsom’s Safer Economy.
Cedar Fair, the parent company of Great America of California, also announced the 2021 reopening dates for Kings Island in Ohio (May 8), Cedar Point in Ohio and Canada’s Wonderland (May 14), Carowinds in North Carolina, Kings Dominion in Virginia, Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, Missouri’s Worlds of Fun and Minnesota’s Valleyfair (May 22) and Michigan’s Adventure (May 29), according to the Theme Park Insider.
The reopening date has not been announced for Knott’s Berry Farm, the most popular and unique theme park at the Cedar Fair throughout the year. Buena Park theme park was forced to cancel the Taste of Merry Farm food and shopping event in early December due to the state’s stay order. A new Knott gastronomic event is expected to be announced soon.
In August, California’s Great America became the first California amusement park to give up reopening in 2020 and close this year, as state officials have postponed issuing COVID-19 protocols to reopen theme parks safely.
California’s theme parks stopped setting and redefining reopening dates after it became clear that the global pandemic would continue for months and extend into 2021.
Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland California announce proposed reopening dates in July, when the pandemic appeared to be waning, only to have their hopes dashed by state officials when COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations increased in the summer.
State guidelines issued in October effectively hung a “closed indefinitely” sign on the gates of California’s theme parks.
California’s Great America, Knott’s Berry Farm, Canada’s Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Valleyfair and Michigan’s Adventure remained closed during the 2020 season due to local COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. Some of Cedar Fair’s closed parks have been partially reopened for special events without tours.
Cedar Point, Kings Island, Dorney Park and Worlds of Fun were able to reopen during the 2020 season under individual state guidelines.