Carowinds WinterFest 2025 Review
Carowinds' holiday event has returned for 2025. Carowinds WinterFest runs on select dates from November 28 to January 3, 2026. The event includes 29 operating attractions, eight live shows, and 33 exclusive menu items.
The event differs from past years, with the most notable change being a shift in hours of operation. WinterFest 2025 includes more daytime hours, noon to 9:00 PM on Saturdays and noon to 8:00 PM on other operating days, which should allow more time for park guests to experience attractions that may close due to cold temperatures. Along with the shift in operating hours, Carowinds has adjusted its evening entertainment: this year’s event lineup doesn’t include the WinterFest Wonderland Parade, and there are fewer holiday lights.
Is the event better or worse than WinterFest 2024? If you spend a lot of time with the rides, then I think you’ll enjoy it more. If you marvel at the holiday lights, then you may be disappointed, but I think there’s still plenty of lights around the park – especially in the Crossroads area. Overall, once the park adjusted its hours after the event’s first weekend, I thought there was a reasonable balance of daytime hours for rides and nighttime entertainment.
Attractions
This year, WinterFest is operating 29 attractions, most notably the popular roller coasters Fury 325, Copperhead Strike, and Thunder Striker. Another notable attraction is Snoopy’s Racing Railway, a new-for-2025 family coaster in Camp Snoopy. Unfortunately, the new-for-2023 land Aeronautica Landing is closed this year.
When visiting the park for WinterFest, it’s essential to understand that some attractions may close if temperatures drop to around 40 degrees or colder.
Here’s the complete list of attractions:
Beagle Scout Acres
Boo Blasters on Boo Hill
Camp Bus
Carolina Cyclone
Carolina Skytower
Charlie Brown's Wind Up
Copperhead Strike (minimum operating temperature 41°F)
Do-Si-Do
Flying Ace Balloon Race
Fury 325 (minimum operating temperature 40°F)
Kiddy Hawk (minimum operating temperature 36°F)
Kaleidoscope
Kite Eating Tree
Mountain Gliders
Peanuts™ Trailblazers
Pig Pen's Mud Buggies
Ricochet
Ripcord
Rock N' Roller
Slingshot
Snoopy Vs. Red Baron
Snoopy's Racing Railway
The Flying Cobras
The Grand Carousel
Thunder Striker (minimum operating temperature 40°F)
Wilderness Run
Woodstock Express
Woodstock Whirlybirds
Zephyr
As always, you should check the Six Flags app and the Carowinds website for the latest ride availability.
Live Shows and Entertainment
WinterFest 2025 features eight live shows and many walk-around characters in the Carowinds Plaza. While all the shows are family-friendly, three are geared toward younger children.
Here’s the complete list of shows:
Holly Jolly Trolley, a musical performance at the Carowinds Plaza
Reindeer Games, an interactive game for children
Snow and Glow, a show featuring snow and pre-recorded music in Crossroads
Storytime with Mrs. Claus, an opportunity for younger children to be read to by Mrs. Claus herself
Snoopy’s Jingle Jam Dance Party, an interactive musical show with a Peanuts character
Tinker's Toy Factory, the premier family-friendly show inside the 600-seat Carowinds Theater
The Wisemen, a bluegrass band that tells the story of Jesus
The Tree Lighting Ceremony, a musical performance that includes the lighting of the 70-foot Christmas tree
In addition to these shows, there’s also live music at the new Tipsy Reindeer Bar in the Thrill Zone by Fury 325. And there’s also a park-wide scavenger hunt called Tinker's Reindeer Round-Up, which you can learn about right when you walk into the park on the right side by the bathrooms.
The can’t-miss shows are most certainly Snow and Glow, Tinker’s Toy Factory, and the Tree Lighting Ceremony. If you’re looking to see holiday lights, Snow and Glow is a must-see because the Crossroads area is covered from the ground up. At Carousel Park, inside the Carowinds Theater, Tinker’s Toy Factory is a fantastic, high-quality show; it’s also a great way to warm up when outdoor temperatures are cold! Finally, the Tree Lightning Ceremony is a short-and-sweet, exciting moment that’s a great way to cap off the evening (you’ll also have some time after for more rides).
Food and Drinks
As in past years, Carowinds WinterFest features many exclusive food and drinks. This year’s event features 33 menu items at locations throughout the park.
Here are some of the favorites that I tried:
The mac and cheese bowls at the Cozy Mac Bowl in County Fair are huge, creamy, and delicious
The turkey legs available in Blue Ridge Junction are large, nicely seasoned, and succulent
The cinnamon pull-apart bread is a delicious treat available at various locations throughout the park
The tamale from Burrito Cafe was very tasty and nicely spiced (not spicy)
For more menu recommendations, watch our YouTube event coverage, specifically the 10-minute Merry Media Event I attended!
YouTube Videos
As of this writing, I’ve visited Carowinds WinterFest 2025 twice, and I recorded two full videos. For a complete walk-around the park, watch my video from opening day. For a deeper dive into the food, the Tipsy Reindeer Bar, and the Tinker’s Toy Factory show, watch the shorter video from the media event.
More Six Flags Holiday Events
In addition to WinterFest at Carowinds, Six Flags Entertainment is hosting holiday events at many other parks. Kings Island’s WinterFest, Knott’s Merry Farm, and Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Texas were all ranked in USA Today’s “10 best theme parks in the US to visit for the holidays.”
Canada’s Wonderland: WinterFest – Through Jan. 3, 2026
Hurricane Harbor Oaxtepec: Christmas in the Park – Dec. 20, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026
Kings Island: WinterFest – Through Dec. 31, 2025
Knott’s Berry Farm: Knott’s Merry Farm – Through Jan. 4, 2026
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: NEW! WinterFest (a 2025 Best Theme Park Holiday Event nominee) – Through Jan. 4, 2026
Six Flags Fiesta Texas: Holiday in the Park – Through Dec. 23, 2025; plus New Year’s celebrations Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026
Six Flags Mexico: Christmas in the Park – Through Jan. 18, 2026
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Holiday in the Park – Through Jan 4, 2026
Six Flags Over Texas: Holiday in the Park – Through Dec. 31, 2025
