At the monthly meeting if the Kentucky state fair board, a small group waited anxiously for the last item on the agenda. That item would determine the fate of the now closed Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. As the unanimous vote came through a single tweet from the official Bluegrass Boardwalk Twitter feed summed everything up simply.
“We have a lease!” The group made up of Holiday World park owners and associates reached a lease deal with the fair board to bring the park back to life in just 15 months. “We can’t wait to get started!” says Bluegrass Boardwalk’s Dan Koch. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to get the park reopened in just 15 months, but we’ll get it done. We’d like to thank the Fair Board for putting their faith in us and the community at large for their tremendous cheers of support.” The park will reopen under the new name of Bluegrass Boardwalk and will have an initial investment of $15-20 million. No details were given but new attractions will also open with the park next May. The work will open 25 new full time positions and 800 seasonal positions in the area. The group hopes to bring the ideals and values from Holiday World to the new park as well. “We’re bringing our business model of exceptional safety, cleanliness, friendliness and value for families,” says Natalie Koch. “That means free soft drinks, free sunscreen and free use of inner tubes.” Holiday World has become “the little park that will” in the past few years with attractions and a family atmosphere that has locals, vacationerd, and enthusiasts singing it’s praises. For more information, visit the official website!
