AT: Tim Baldwin

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Screams at the IAAPA Expo are transferring to Virginia. One of the rides eliciting shrieks was music to Funland of Fredericksburg’s ears.

“This [Expo] was actually special for us because we actually had a ride that was ours on display,” said Clint Novak, general manager. “They closed the show on Friday, and it was here on Monday. It was delivered very quickly.”

Owing to weather issues, the pad for the drop tower was poured in early December.

“As an enthusiast, I never understood why weather delayed things so much,” Novak told Amusement Today. “When it comes to pouring cement, there is a one-to-two-week waiting list, and when it rains, you don’t get it the next day; you get bumped to the bottom of the list.”

The ride was erected in late December. It is named Patriot Plunge. Adorned in red, white and blue, it seats 10.

A second ride, The Flip Side, was built first. Already installed, it is a Mini-Dance Party. Both rides are from SBF-Visa. Rides 4 U represents SBF-Visa in North America and brokered the sale.

The park is willing to do previews on days in the winter weather permitting (40 degrees or more), however, the grand opening is planned for early March.

“We were the first park in Virginia to go year-round, so to speak,” Novak said. “We try to keep rides open as much as possible. Rides that do need winter maintenance go down one at a time for a couple of weeks.”

Novak feels the drop tower will provide visibility from the road (at 40 feet) but feels families can still ride it together.

“We wanted a variety of both thrill and fun,” he said. “The Flip Side will be the most thrilling ride we’ve had here. I had an opportunity to ride it at Fun Spot [in November] and it’s a great ride.”

Novak likes that the attraction comes with three ride cycles: a milder one that doesn’t go upside down, a medium level and a more intense extreme level. The park intends to operate it at the medium level unless a group has a special request. That middle level still swings riders upside down.

Funland has a sister property in Fairfax, which features a more upscale restaurant, Tailgater’s Grill. The goal is to duplicate the successful formula at the Fredericksburg location, but that upgrade still has months to go. 

“When the park was built, it had a ‘90s-style snack bar,” said Novak. “The new location has had a full-scale restaurant and bar for a couple of years now, and we’ve come to understand the power of having a really good menu. We are trying to bring that to the Fredericksburg location.”

To accommodate this expansion, the park has already created an outdoor patio area and installed three garage doors to facilitate the environment. A pergola and AstroTurf make the outdoor setting more inviting. 

“We have a tent there for events. It gives us an area where people can mingle,” Novak noted.

Enhancements indoors will complete the immersive transformation. Funland is in the process of positioning televisions. Novak said the biggest part of the project is a remodel of the kitchen to enable the higher quality food currently served at the Fairfax location.

As that process is underway, the FEC has upgraded the menu to include cheeseburgers, cheesesteak sandwiches and wings.

If everything falls into place as expected, the changes may be complete by the end of 2023 or going into 2024. A full-service bar is now available. Until the full experience is in place, the current café is called Tailgater’s Express.

A mezzanine upstairs has had televisions installed as a type of “sky porch,’ for game watching and lounge area.

The Fredericksburg location has been in operation for close to a quarter of a century. In that time span, it has seen considerable growth. In recent years, there has been a rush of additions.

“We are always adding a crazy amount of stuff,” Novak said.

In 2018, the FEC put in an indoor SBF-Visa spinning coaster and Clip and Climb.

The following year saw a huge addition with a multi-level go-kart track and a redo of the facility’s batting cages to make them brand new. In December of that year, a Triotech XD dark ride carried them into 2020, as did an enlargement of the arcade.

Although the pandemic slowed things down, Funland did do some enhancements while closed. Improvements included a new look with new greens on the miniature golf course and paint on some of the rides.

The next big addition came in January 2022 with an RCI Ropes Course over the arcade.

The two new rides and restaurant enhancements for 2023 continue to create momentum for the park. For an FEC, this sustained investment is nothing short of impressive.

This article appears in the  JANUARY 2023 issue of Amusement Today.
View the entire issue for FREE with our digital edition!

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