Carowinds teases 2024 ‘growth,’ announces new Halloween event

The Cedar Fair-owned Carowinds, located in Charlotte, N.C. on the state line of North and South Carolina, will open for the season Saturday, March 9, 2024 (season passholders can attend an exclusive preview night the evening before).

Guests can once again get their fill of coasters like Fury 325 and Copperhead Strike, among others. But for now, the familiar thrills will have to suffice as Carowinds is not adding any new rides in 2024 (or so they’ve announced so far).

Nevertheless, in a press release alongside news of seasonal events, the park did tease more announcements on the way, saying:

Carowinds has plans for growth and rockin’ investment during the summer, with more exciting announcements on the horizon.

Carowinds’ press material included several key take-aways — and a few omissions. Let’s take a look.

What’s New at Carowinds in 2024

Tricks and Treats will replace The Great Pumpkin Fest as Carowinds’ daytime Halloween event. The new offering will take place Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 14 – Oct. 27, 2024. Details are still under (mummy) wraps, but “Tricks and Treats Parade,” which debuted last year, will return.

Carowinds said this about Tricks and Treats:

This festive celebration of the season features playful tricks of Halloween activities for children and adults, delightful treats with seasonal culinary offerings, and a chance to enjoy some of Carowinds’ most popular family rides.

Returning Events

“The Marvelous Mutts,” a show featuring live canine athletes, will return to Carowinds from March 29 – April 2 and April 5-7, 2024. Dog trainers Nadja Palenzuela and Kara Gilmore created the show, which has performed nationwide and held a residency at Carowinds several years ago.

Carolina Harbor Water Park will reopen May 25, 2024 for the summer season. Its most recent addition, the Boogey Board Racer mat slides, debuted in 2021.

As with previous years, Carowinds will present “Celebrate America Fireworks Show” for limited engagements on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

Scarowinds will return select nights Sept. 13 – Oct. 27, 2024. Different for this year, admission for the PG-13 haunt event will be included with a regular daytime ticket. In other words, Carowinds and Scarowinds will not require separate admission, and guests can stay in the park as day transitions to night.

WinterFest, Carowinds’ holiday event, will take place select nights Nov. 15 – Dec. 31, 2024. “WinterFest Wonderland Parade” will again be part of its proceedings.

What’s Missing?

Pending the teased announcement for the summer, 2024’s calendar has a few noticeable omissions. Carowinds did not mention Grand Carnivale, the international food festival the park hosted the past several summers. That event featured “Spectacle of Color Parade,” also presumably absent for 2024.

As mentioned above, The Great Pumkin Fest will retire this year in favor of the new Tricks and Treats. It remains to be seen how the two events will differ.

A Breather After a Jam-Packed ’23

The park’s slightly lower-key 2024 follows a jam-packed 2023. Last year Carowinds opened Aeronautica Landing, a flight-themed area with five new flat rides, a bar, and refurbished bumper cars.

The park also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, complete with a nightly drones-and-fireworks show commemorating its history 50 evenings in a row.

Also in 2023, Carowinds remained open during the winter, foregoing its usual downtime in January and February in favor of inaugural year-round operations. This year, the park is back to its usual closure between Christmas and March.

Carowinds drew national attention last summer when a guest noticed a crack in one Fury 325’s support columns. The park closed the roller coaster for several weeks, during which a replacement beam was installed.

Cedar Fair, Carowinds’ parent company — and owner of sister parks Cedar Point, Knott’s Berry Farm, and others — finished off 2023 by announcing a merger with Six Flags. The combined company, whose name will be Six Flags, will collectively manage 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks when the deal closes this year.

Carowinds Calendar of Events 2024

If you’re a planner, here’s the full list of Carowinds’ 2024 special events in chronological order:

More Carowinds

Read Carowinds’ full press release here. Learn more about the park and purchase tickets here.

Head over to the Carowinds playlist on our YouTube channel for over 30 videos from the park, including coaster POVs and behind-the-scenes looks at its seasonal events.

We covered Carowinds’ banner 2023 with a series of backstage interviews. Check them out below.