Kennywood, Idlewild, Sandcastle announce closing dates
Years ago, Labor Day always marked the final day of the season for Kennywood.
The park is going back to that time.
On Labor Day, Sept. 7, Kennywood will close until spring.
“With so much uncertainty with covid-19 and schools going back in session we decided to end the season on a high note on Labor Day,” said general manager Mark Pauls. “The park used to close on Labor Day in the past, because it was the end of summer.”
The early closing means no open dates for weekends the rest of September and no Phantom Fright Nights or Holiday Lights.
“Any decision you make when you change a park’s operation is tough, “ Pauls said. “The park will miss that great time of year both those events for the park and the community. But we just felt with the winter months coming and covid-19 uncertainty that this was the best decision.”
We're announcing important updates to our operating schedule for the remainder of 2020: https://t.co/BvwEDSINys pic.twitter.com/mlqoIJA7FP
— Kennywood Park (@Kenny_Kangaroo) August 20, 2020
Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, and Sandcastle Waterpark in Homestead, Kennywood’s sister parks, will also finish their seasons also on Sept. 7.
Kennywood and sister park Idlewild 2020 season passes will be extended to include the 2021.
“We wanted to reward the people who stuck with us this year,” said spokesman Nick Paradise.
The remaining open days for Kennywood are Aug. 21-23, 28-30 and Sept. 4-7.
Today marks our final week of daily operations, but we still have plenty of summer left to celebrate! This week, visit for 50% off when you buy your tickets online! Offer ends on Friday.https://t.co/INefI2lZEL#Sandcastle #Summer #Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/za8wpqfj7L
— Sandcastle Waterpark (@Sandcastlepgh) August 17, 2020
Sandcastle and Idlewild will be open Aug. 21-23, 29-30 and Sept. 4-7.
“While this year hasn’t gone like any of us hoped, we’re glad we could provide some happy memories during this tough stretch,” said Idlewild & SoakZone general manager Brandon Leonatti, in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming visitors for a beautiful day in our neighborhood over the next few weeks.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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