Funland Fredericksburg has launched The Wishing Tree program, allowing guests to donate special experiences to families in need through Big Brothers Big Sisters Greater Fredericksburg, with the park matching all donations.

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Fun Land Fredericksburg is set to host the Harvest Fest on Saturday, October 12, from noon to 6 p.m., aiming to support the Fredericksburg Food Bank. The event will feature over 20 vendors with crafts, foods, and home goods, alongside a new Live Corn Maze attraction.

Guests are encouraged to contribute to the festive food drive by donating three non-perishable items, earning a $5 discount off the $10 entry fee. Daniel Glover, General Manager, expressed excitement about engaging the community to fight hunger and spread joy during the giving season.

Press release:

Fun Land Fredericksburg, an indoor family fun park with various attractions, food, and entertainment, invites the Fredericksburg community to fall into fun at Harvest Fest from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Fun Land Fredericksburg is accepting donations for Harvest Fest, a festive food drive supporting the Fredericksburg Food Bank. It will feature more than 20 vendors offering a variety of crafts, foods, and home goods, and well as a brand-new Live Corn Maze attraction.

“We are so proud and excited to be able to help families in our community fight hunger in this way,” said Daniel Glover, General Manager of Fun Land Fredericksburg. “We hope everyone will come out and help us raise awareness and food and spread some joy this giving season.”

There will be a $10 entry fee, and guests are encouraged to donate three nonperishable food items to get $5 off.

Fun Land of Fredericksburg opened two new rides, Patriot Plunge and The Flip Side, marking a $1 million investment into the city’s amusement park.

Both standalone “flat” rides seat 12 people, stand 40 feet tall, and serve as a new draw to the outdoor section of the park that has seen recent expansions, including Virginia’s first three-level go-kart track opened in 2019. Patriots Plunge is a drop tower attraction, while The Flip Side is a spinning pendulum.

“Putting these rides in is no easy feat. We had to work a lot with the city of Fredericksburg, and they really helped us. The zoning department and the building services really helped us get these two rides in here,” said Fun Land Fredericksburg General Manager Clint Novak.

Novak, and owner Chuck Peitz, said Fun Land worked closely with Bowman Construction, who built the rides, and Fredericksburg zoning administrators for at least two years to obtain permits for the ride. “They’re great rides and, I think, a great addition to our facility here,” said Peitz. “I have to say that the city has really worked with us, aided us in moving the projects forward as they did with the Gocart track and the other things that we’ve done here. And I must say they come with expectations, but they deal with us fairly. And my feeling is that if that’s what government is supposed to deliver to the people, I think it’s just being delivered very well.”

City Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, the “Queen of Funland,” as she was called, addressed more than 100 people gathered on March 9, 2023. “You have put Fredericksburg on the map, and we appreciate it…Besides putting the fun in Fredericksburg, you are an employer of over 100 young men and women for whom you are often the first employer. And they do a great job of training these young men and women. Absolutely. More than that, you’re a great corporate citizen,” said Greenlaw.

Fun Land, at 1351 Central Park Boulevard, opened in 2005 and has rolled out multiple expansions in recent years to include Tailgaters Sports Grill, a rebranded restaurant with a full-service bar. Peitz said adding new food and drink had drawn many more fathers to the park who attend birthday parties with their children.

The newly-rebranded restaurant will also allow Fun Land to host special events for those aged 21 and over, a first for the park, planned for Friday, March 24, 2023, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Pietz said mild winter temperatures have helped to bring more poeple to the park this past winter, including an outdoor area and an indoor arcade, with a Sky Trail ropes course, bowling alley, and small roller coaster.

The need for more parking spaces will come with the expansion, said Peitz. Right now, the park is exploring ways to add an additional 200 parking spaces in hopes of bringing in more poeple who want to enjoy a day of fun close to home.

Fun Land in Central Park is on track to open two new rides.

Fun Land General Manager Clint Novak announced the park in Fredericksburg would build a 40-foot tall drop tower on its campus. The ride, called the “Patriot Plunge” seats up to 12 people.

Novak made the announcement while attending the IAAPA amusement industry trade show in Orlando last week.

Construction has already begun and is taking place at the same time work is underway to build “The Flip Side,” a pendulum that will offer gravity-defying hang time while spinning riders around and is similar to Delirium at Kings Dominion in Doswell.

The rides should open by Spring 2023.

“The grand opening of both rides will be in early March, but we will be opening both rides on select weekends depending on temperature as a preview to the guests,” Novak told PLN.

The drop tower addition is a surprise announcement for Fun Land fans. Novak announced the addition of the drop tower a a year ago. However, Fun Land reversed course earlier this year and said it had abandoned plans for the new rider, blaming cost increases and a prolonged permitting process.

Fun Land also plans to open Tailgaters Sports Grill by Spring 2024. The menu will feature many items found at the Tailgaters at the Fun Land in Fairfax, including burgers, pizza, chicken sandwiches, beer, and wine.

The park opened the state’s first multi-level go-kart track in 2019.

Fun Land of Fredericksburg sits at 1351 Central Park Boulevard in Fredericksburg. The park’s hours vary by section, and so do the special events, so you’re encouraged to check the park’s online calendar before you go.

Fun Land of Fredericksburg will play host to ghosts and goblins this Halloween.

The amusement park will offer Spooky Golf during October, in addition to its regular attractions, which include the only multi-level go-kart track in Virginia, Thunder Speedway, Sky Trail, laser tag, Scrambler, and indoor roller coaster Twist and Shout.

Fun Land of Fredericksburg General Manager Clint Novak says Spooky Golf is geared towards the whole family, and anyone would be able to play. It includes colorful lights, whimsical characters, and fun child-friendly Halloween music

It will cost $10 per person to play. Children under three are free.

Novak says the team at Fun Land of Fredericksburg are pros at setting up themed golf.

“We have had practice setting up the course last year with both Spooky Golf and Holiday Golf, so this year should be pretty easy,” Novak told Potomac Local News.

The park has its own in-house decorator working to create new and exciting elements. “She is hard at work making sure everyone will have a fun time,” adds Novak.

In other park news, Fun Land of Fredericksburg abandoned plans to add a drop tower to its park. Last year, Novak announced the coming attraction at a Christmastime press event.

“It took nearly three years to get the approval from the city to build and install the drop tower.  The cost of the project rose significantly during that process, and once we got approval, the project was no longer affordable.  So, unfortunately, we had to step away from that particular project,” Novak told Potomac Local News.

But thrill seekers will be happy to know the park will install a new flat ride called “The Flip Side” by mid-October. The attraction is a pendulum that will offer gravity-defying hang time while spinning riders around and is similar to Delirium at Kings Dominion in Doswell.

Finally, the park will open Tailgaters Sports Grill by Spring 2024. While the sign and pergola can be seen from the outside, Novak says crews have a lot of work to do inside to ready the space for the restaurant.

The menu will feature many items found at the Tailgaters at the Fun Land in Fairfax, including burgers, pizza, chicken sandwiches, beer, and wine.

Fun Land of Fredericksburg sits at 1351 Central Park Boulevard in Fredericksburg. The park’s hours vary by section, and so do the special events, so you’re encouraged to check the park’s online calendar before you go.