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Military veterans enjoy free admission to Kings Island Memorial Day Weekend. Photo provided

Kings Island is offering special perks to veterans this Memorial Day weekend.

Military veterans receive free admission to the 364-acre Mason amusement park Friday through Monday.

The offer extends to active and retired military, National Guard, veterans with honorable or medical discharge and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with government-issued ID.

Military personnel can also purchase admission tickets for members of their immediate family (up to six) for a discounted price of $29.99 each.

Military vets will also receive free admission and membership discounts of up to 20 percent at the Mason Community Center Saturday through Monday.

The center offers fitness machines, an indoor pool, gym and field house, game room, fitness activities and child care center.

Veterans who are already members can receive 10 free guest passes.

Valid military IDs are required for both offers and must be presented.  Present IDs to the ticket counter at Kings Island or to the member services desk at the Mason Community Center.

For Kings Island information, call 513-754-5700.  For Mason Community Center information, call 513-229-8555.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Community, Events, Health & Fitness, Mason Community Center, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: free admission, kings island, mason community center, memorial day, memorial day weekend, military, veterans, vets

Some roller coaster riders got more of a thrill than they expected Tuesday at Kings Island.

The Beast roller coaster got stuck while climbing the second hill — a height of 141 feet — about 11 a.m., park officials said.

The ride malfunctioned when a device on the coaster intended to keep cars separated detected a problem and didn’t release the car.  Thirty riders were stuck for about 10 minutes before being escorted off the ride, said Don Helbig, the park’s spokesman.

“It is not uncommon for a train to stop briefly on the lift hill of roller coasters to wait for the train ahead of it to clear a certain zone,” explained Helbig.  “That’s how the safety system is designed.   And that’s what happened this morning but the ride did not re-start.”

One rider called 911 after the train stopped and was transported to West Chester Hospital.

The ride reopened at about 12:30 p.m., said Helbig.

The Beast, which opened in 1979, is the world’s longest wooden roller coaster.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: hospital, kings island, roller coaster, stuck, the beast

John Faherty reports:

Everything was fine really. It was kind of exactly what you would have expected.

Brady Bunch stars Christopher Knight (front row right), Susan Olsen (front row left) and Barry Williams (second row right) enjoy a ride on the Racer at Kings Island on Sunday. / Provided

Three former Brady Bunch kids — maybe you are never a “former” when it comes to the bunch — were going to Kings Island to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the summer when the Brady Bunch went to Kings Island to shoot an episode in 1973.

Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) were all there to tell some funny stories and show some classic clips. “Mom always said: don’t play ball in the house,” “Oh my nose!” “Pork chops and apple sauce.”

Donna Delph came from Hebron with her grandson Aiden. She loved the show as a kid, and now he watches it with her on the Hallmark Channel. “This is going to be so exciting,” she said as the lights began to dim.

Cindy, now 51, talked about being the mother of a 16-year-old son, with a Mohawk, and people began to realize that we have all aged together.

Peter, 55, was kind of the bad boy of the gig. He told the crowd that he has few memories of his time as a Brady and that it was fun to be able to recall these events through his fans.

But the show was really Greg’s. He came out first, and introduced the others. He talked about the clips, and he did a little Johnny Bravo. And in truth, Williams remains quite groovy. His skin is tan and his hair is dark and his pants still fit just right.

And everybody loved it. The noon show was the first of four on Sunday, and there was not a single empty seat in the 844-seat venue. People who couldn’t get into the first show were given wristbands for the second. There were already enough to fill the place for all four shows.

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Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: barry williams, brady bunch, christopher knight, cindy, greg, kings island, mason, peter, susan olsen

John Kiesewetter reports:

So what does Barry Williams remember about filming the “Brady Bunch” at Kings Island 40 years ago?

“That bear suit was very hot!” says Williams, 58, who flies in from Branson, Mo., to reunite with co-stars Christopher Knight and Susan Olsen (Peter and Cindy Brady) at Kings Island Sunday.

Williams, the teen hearthrob who played Greg Brady, shot a scene wearing the Hair Bear character suit in “The Cincinnati Kids” episode to impress a Coney Mall worker named Marge, and took his first ride in a hot-air balloon while shooting at Kings Island Aug. 20-24, 1973.

• Photos: The Brady Bunch at Kings Island
• Videos: Watch the Kings Island episode and more
• List: Can you remember the long gone rides at Kings Island?

He also remembers huge crowds watching the Brady kids, Florence Henderson and Ann B. Davis looking for dad Mike Brady’s (Robert Reed) lost park expansion architectural drawings. The show aired during the fifth and final season (1969-74).

The Brady trio will share stories, show video clips, answer questions, sing and sign autographs in the Kings Island Theater on Sunday at noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:30 p.m. It’s free with park admission.

Williams headlines the “70s Music Celebration” show at Branson’s RFD TV Theatre. Here’s a link to his 70musiccelebration website.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Events, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: barry williams, brady bunch, christopher knight, kings island, susan olsen

Beach Waterpark Ralph Vilardo Jr. stands on top of the park’s highest water slide, the Kamikaze. That slide and the entire park has been renovated. Furthermore, new attractions have been added. Altogether, the venue’s new owners spent $5 million updated the park that will re-open May 18, 2013. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber May 16, 2013. / Adam Kiefaber Enquirer

Adam Kiefaber reports:

After being closed since September of 2011, new owners of the 35-acre Beach Waterpark gave the local media a sneak peek at the tourist attraction during a VIP event Thursday night.

During the event, owners Hank and Susan Woodburn of Adventure Holdings greeted guests, while general manager Ralph Vilardo Jr. showed off the $5 million in upgrades to the park. Vilardo and the new owners hope that the regular Beach visitors will notice a big improvement.

“It has been day and night working to get this park back to its former glory, while adding new attractions and some of our own touches,” said Hank Woodburn, who with his wife own 18 entertainment parks nationwide. “We’ve put $5 million into this project because we really wanted to bring the Beach back to life in each facet of the park.”

When the park re-opens Saturday, Beach goers will notice some new attractions that include a heated wave pool and an interactive kids play area, which has multiple slides and a 600-gallon dumping bucket.

In addition to the new attractions, the $5 million budget was also used to renovate common areas, slides and play areas.

“The wave pool is one of the biggest changes you will see,” Vilardo said. “We went with the latest, greatest technology, which is going to give you real ocean crashing waves that are consistent throughout the day. The interactive kids area is second to none and we also took the existing slides and improved them.”

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Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: adventure holdings, lawsuit, mason, Ralph Vilardo Jr., reopening, season pass, the beach, the beach waterpark, upgrades, water park

Kings Island’s Opening Day is finally here.  Check out these highlights from this morning.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: 41st, amusement park, kings island, mason, opening day, season, theme park

Shauna Steigerwald reports:

It’s that time again, when the Beast will roar across its wooden track at close to highway speed; the Diamondback will plunge down its 215-drop even faster; and Snoopy and friends will greet kids and the young at heart.

Kings Island, a warm-weather tradition for many Greater Cincinnatians, opens Saturday, with daily operations resuming May 10, the earliest the park has ever been open daily.

In addition to their favorite thrill rides, visitors will have a few new things to see, do and eat this year. Read on to find out about some of the park’s newest attractions.

• Take our Kings Island quiz!
• Photos: What’s new at Kings Island
• What’s new: Kings Island adds dinosaurs, Reds and German fare
• First look: Reds Hall of Fame Grille
• We tried it: KI’s new Reds-themed restaurant
• From Retro: The lost rides of Kings Island
• Photos: Kings Island through the years

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: attractions, dining, dinosaurs alive, food, food review, kings island, lost rides, mason, new, old rides, opening day, photos, quiz, reds hall of fame grille, rides

The new Reds Hall of Fame Grille at Kings Island. The Enquirer/Tony Jones

Kings Island is hoping to hit a homerun with its new Reds Hall of Game Grille opening this season.

The Reds-themed restaurant — located in the former Rivertown Junction buffet restaurant — features Hall of Fame memorabilia, framed jerseys and photos and other bits of Reds history, dating back to the 1880s, while video highlights from World Series, playoffs and other games play on TVs through the restaurant.

On the menu: burgers, wings, Montgomery Inn pulled pork, baby back ribs, Saratoga chips, wraps, salads, desserts, draft beer and wine.  Full restaurant?  No worries.  Leave a cell phone number and you’ll be sent a text when your table is ready.

• Photos & Video: Inside KI’s Reds Hall of Fame Grille

“One of the things our guests have been asking for for a number of years is a full-service, sit-down restaurant,” said Don Helbig, park spokesman.  ”No matter where you sit, you’re  going to see something different.”

Community reporter Rachel Richardson, Butler/Warren Editor Bill Cieslewicz, photographer Tony Jones, freelance photographer Tony Tribble and entertainment reporter Shauna Steigerwald got a first taste of the grille.

Click through to see what we sampled:

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Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Kings Island |

Tags: Tags: amusement park, baseball, cincinnati reds, dining, food, ki, kings island, mason, new, reds, reds hall of fame grille, restaurant, review, theme park

The newly-renamed The Beach at Adventure Landing is hoping professional beach volleyball and $5 million in park upgrades will be enough to lure back patrons when the park reopens May 18.

The Mason water park today signed a three-year contract with the National Volleyball League to host its Midwest Championships and Junior Festival.

The agreement marks the first multi-year contract the NVL has signed with a venue.  The Los Angeles-based organization selected The Beach due to its location and amenities, said NVL CEO and founder, Albert “Al-B” Hannemann.

Photo provided

The Ohio Valley Region of USA Volleyball boasts more than 20,00 junior volleyball members, making it the largest region for junior volleyball, he said.

“The Beach has been very accommodating and we’re looking at long-term growth here,” said Hannemann.  “You can’t find a better place than this.  I’m kind of like a kid running around right now because it’s so exciting.”

The tournaments, which take place July 19-21 this year, are expected to bring thousands of nationally-recognized beach volleyball players and fans to the area.

The Beach is renovating five regulation-size sand volleyball courts with combined stadium seating for 2,500, said Ralph Vilardo, Jr., the park’s general manager.

Ticketholders can watch preliminary matches at no charge; there’s an extra $10 fee to watch final matches, he said.  Volleyball-only tickets will also be available for purchase.

The courts will be available for use by patrons at no additional charge on non-game days.  The park will also host league play five nights a week, with an OVR junior elite league playing Monday through Thursday and a recreational co-ed league on Friday nights.

The announcement comes months after new owners of The Beach announced the park will undergo $5 million in upgrades this year — the first in a series of improvements to one of the region’s top tourist attractions.

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Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Business, News, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: contract, mason, national volleyball league, nvl, professional volleyball, sand volleyball, the beach at adventure landing, the beach waterpark, upgrades, volleyball, water park, waterpark

Professional volleyball is coming to Mason.

The National Volleyball League is expected to sign a three-year contract with The Beach Waterpark Wednesday to host its Midwest Championships and Junior Festival.

The event, which takes place July 19-21 this year, is expected to bring nationally-recognized beach volleyball players and fans to the area.

The agreement marks the first multi-year contract the organization has signed with a venue, according to NVL  officials.

NVL founder Albert “Al-B” Hanneman founded the Los Angeles-based organization in 2010.  The organization hosts a series of professional, pro-am and open beach volleyball tournaments each year nationwide.

The Beach Waterpark, which has been closed since September 2011, will reopen May 18 with $5 million worth of upgrades.  Adventure Holdings LLC, parent company of Jacksonville Beach, Fla.-based Adventure Landing, purchased the park earlier this year.

Posted in: Arts & Entertainment, Business, News, The Beach Waterpark |

Tags: Tags: contract, junior festival, midwest championships, national volleyball league, nvl, the beach, the beach waterpark