by VICTORIA HENLEY
CTFashionMag.com
Wild Adventures has firmly cemented its status as Georgia’s premiere destination for high octane fun, offering adrenaline pumping roller coasters, traditional carnival and fair style rides, a grand scale waterpark complete with towering slides and a lazy river, as well as an abundance of award-winning live entertainment, including educational tiger and alligator shows, lumberjack shows and a pair of most unconventional and wildly talented drummers.
This innovative theme park is constantly making waves with exhilarating new fairs, festivals and special events. After decades of bone-chilling “haunted house” style Halloween Fright Night events, Wild Adventures recently shifted its focus toward a more family friendly fall extravaganza.
“The Great Pumpkin Luminights” offers hundreds of decorative Jack-O-Lanterns, each brandishing their own unique characters and personalities, illuminate the night.
Sure to excite and delight the kids, as well as kids of all ages, in your group, the Great Pumpkin Luminights affords guests the exclusive opportunity to roam the array of carved and stunningly stylized pumpkins that decorate nearly every nook and cranny of the park’s vast expanse.
A cornucopia of shimmering sunflowers, spooky spiders, cuddly cats, a bevy of interactive singing pumpkins, towering glowing inflatable pumpkins and much, much more create a festive atmosphere and lighthearted energy unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere for the holiday season.
Just as exciting and exhilarating as the fall decor are the delectable pumpkin themed sweets, treats, and savory offerings that you are sure to you find at nearly every turn during your visit to the Great Pumpkin Luminights.
While I have been an ardent fan of the incredible Wild Adventures Theme Park since I was a small child, we were thrilled to be afforded the exclusive opportunity to provide you the inside scoop through Backstage Pass on IHeart Radio /CTFashionMag regarding all the delectable foods, delightful seasonal sights, and larger-than- life decor that is bound to get you in top Halloween holiday spirits.
These are the “Tasting Pass” foods, snacks, sweets, and beverages we highly recommend (tasting passes can be purchased at Guest Relations or the Season Passholders’ front desk, and these passports to culinary heaven are highly recommended to enhance and optimize your Great Pumpkin Luminights overall experience. How it works, choose an item, visit that location, present your passport, and then enjoy.
Choose one item per section, per tasting pass.
PUMPKIN SIZED BITES:
Pumpkin Spice Maple Pulled Pork Loaded BBQ Fries: Topped with tender and delicious smoked pulled pork and a sweet hickory sauce. Available at Lonestar BBQ.
The Mighty Pumpkin Colossal Shake: Just as Instagram-worthy beautiful as it is delicious, this frothy and substantial pumpkin shake is chock full of fall flavor and stacked high with a freshly cut slice of pumpkin pie. Available at the Sugar Shack.
Pumpkin Spice Maple Bacon Funnel Cake: A creative and unexpected take on a theme park classic, this exceptional treat is topped with powdered sugar, thick morsels of applewood smoked bacon, and drizzled in sweet, flavorful maple glaze. Available at the Sugar Shack.
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese Waffle Cone: Hearty, stick-to-your-ribs mac and cheese is scooped into a waffle cone, and topped with a tender Buffalo wing and a crispy celery stick. It all comes together to create an unexpected twist on a sports bar classic. Available at Congo Wings.
Chili Bread Bowl: Featuring a hand-cut, hearty loaf of bread that serves as the “bowl” for this substantial dish, the chili bread bowl serves up a generous portion of chili inside the edible “dish.” We tried the lean pulled pork covered in sweet and savory BBQ Sauce to fill our bowl. Available at Lonestar BBQ.
SPICED UP SNACKS:
Pumpkin Spice Frozen Cheesecake: A generous cut of creamy cheesecake dipped in smooth white chocolate and dusted with an array of pumpkin spices. Available at Outpost Canteen.
Pumpkin Spice Dippin’ Dot Sundae: An extravaganza of robust pumpkin flavors and aromas, the Pumpkin Spice Dippin Dots Sundae features the taste and texture of Dippin’ Dots you fell in love with as a child, topped with fluffy whipped cream and dusted with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Available at Dippin’ Dots locations.
Hand Rolled Pumpkin Spice Pretzel with Cream Cheese Icing: Warm, doughy and comforting, enjoy this hearty sweet treat while taking in the illuminated lake views at the Waters Edge eatery. Available Exclusively at Water’s Edge.
TASTY TREATS:
Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Spice Krispy: A crisp, yet gooey treat, covered in varieties of white chocolate, milk chocolate, and other assorted flavors. Available at multiple locations.
Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie: A chocolate chip cookie treat of epic proportions, bursting with semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels. Available at multiple locations.
Sugar Cookies: Featuring a light, sweet taste, these delightful sugar cookies are smothered in festive pumpkin spice icing, an exquisite match for the fall season. Available at multiple locations.
SWEET SIPS:
Pumpkin Spice Coke. A unique spin on a soda pop shop classic, this Coca Cola beverage is brimming with an unexpected blend of bubbly fizzy goodness and festive pumpkin flavor. Available at the Mayfield Ice Cream Shop.
Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee: Featuring a robust blend of coffee and pumpkin flavors, this iced beverage is a perfect way to chill out and savor a crisp fall day. Available at the Mayfield Ice Cream Shop.
Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino: Brimming with creamy, sweet flavors and a strong mocha finish, this satiating beverage stands alone and will rival any coffee drink you’ll find at even the most prestigious coffee breweries. Available at the Mayfield Ice Cream Shop, Lonestar BBQ and Safari Burger.
Once you have savored all the Pumpkin Spice treats your heart desires, be sure to check out the incredible array of onsite attractions that will fill your day with great vibes, lots of laughs, and endless memories, including a petting zoo inhabited by a slew of adorable animals (including goats, bunnies, baby cows, pigs, chickens, etc), an Animal Safari train, magnificent and elegant giraffes (for whom you can purchase feed for an up close and personal wildlife encounter), a wide array of world class theme park rides, and other endless opportunities to build your own customized “wild adventure.”
The Great Pumpkin Luminights will only be available for your enjoyment until Oct 30, so be sure to book your tickets for a phenomenal Halloween experience you’ll remember for many seasons to come.
Special thanks to the wonderful Madison Tucker and the incredible Wild Adventures team for their exceptional help and hospitality in facilitating our visit for this spotlight feature.
ADDRESS: 3766 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, Ga.
WEBSITE: www.wildadventures.com
PHONE NUMBER: (229) 219-7080
INSTAGRAM @wildadventures
