Cheers to 2018!
2018 is shaping up to be an incredible year in Hershey The Sweetest Place On Earth!
Here are just a few of the things we're looking forward to in the New Year!
1. Outdoor Classic
Mark your calendars! The Hershey Bears are heading back outdoors for the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic with festivities set to take place on January 19-20, 2018 at Hersheypark Stadium. The two-day event will serve as the can't-miss engagement of the club's 80th Anniversary Season in 2017-18. Festivities start Friday, January 19 with the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic Alumni Game at 7 p.m., and continue into the marquee match-up between the Hershey Bears and rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday, January 20 at 7 p.m.
2. Chocolate-Covered February
Returning for its 14th sweet year is Chocolate-Covered February! One month, 90 events and unlimited chocolate await, including Chocolate Martini Mixology, Wine & Chocolate Pairings, Chocolate-Covered February Parade and more!
3. Our Biggest Splash in a Decade
Memorial Day weekend will bring the opening of our biggest splash in decade with the addition of two new rides - our 14th coaster Breakers Edge℠ and the longest mat racer in the world - Whitecap℠ Racer!
On August 8, we were thrilled to announce plans for not one, but two new attractions for 2018 in The Boardwalk at Hersheypark. They are slated to open Memorial Day weekend, 2018.
4. 40th Anniversary of ZooAmerica
2018 will mark the 40th anniversary of ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park!
What began as a private animal collection in Hershey, Pa., has become an 11-acre site, refuge, home, and AZA-accredited sanctuary for more than 200 animals representing 70 species from across the continent of North America.
The idea for a zoo in Hershey dates back to the formation of the town itself. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey broke ground for his new chocolate factory and began plans for the model town his factory workers and their families would reside in, including a zoo. Mr. Hershey acquired the zoo's first residents – twelve prairie dogs – from a family who was unable to care for them. Hershey Zoo, as it was then known, received more private donations in the coming years before closing in 1971. ZooAmerica officially opened in 1978 to protect, promote, and encourage the conservation of wildlife, natural resources, and habitats.
Stay tuned for more details about ZooAmerica!
5. Exciting Entertainment
- Cole Swindell March 2 at Giant Center
- Tim McGraw and Faith Hill June 12 at Giant Center
- Harry Styles June 14 at Hersheypark Stadium
- Kesha and Macklemore July 21 at Hersheypark Stadium
6. 20th Anniversary of Great Bear
2018 also means our Hersheypark guests have enjoyed Great Bear for 20 years!
The Great Bear is an inverted steel roller coaster named after the large constellation, Ursa Major. Designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster was built by Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 1998 in the Kissing Tower Hill section of the park.
