While its haunted mansion is a Halloween tradition, Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach decided this year to offer a winter theme in its waterpark for the first time.
In the span of six weeks, after the mansion closed after Halloween, the staff at Adventure Landing constructed Blizzard Bluff Village, an ice-skating rink and an alpine slide to provide a winter experience for people who might not travel north beyond the Florida border.
It opened Friday and will be available until Jan. 2, including holidays.
“The village will have its own snowfall. We’ll have fire pits where people can make s’mores. There will be a cookie-making station. We are trying to create a winter setting here for people who might not get to travel to it,” said Michelle Branham, national marketing director for Adventure Landing.
Guests can stroll through the village for free, but there are fees for ice-skating, the alpine slide and activities in the village.
Skate rentals are available in the village, but guests can bring their own.
The effort to bring winter to Jacksonville was a partnership between Adventure Landing and sponsors including Visit Jacksonville, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30 and the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C.
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