Hersheypark In the Dark Revealed + Epic Christmas Ticket Giveaway

Hersheypark has always been our happy place during the summer months: rollercoasters, chocolate treats, frolicking around the Boardwalk, the water park. So what’s so special and different about visiting during the fall for Hersheypark in the Dark?

We just returned from our first ever visit to The Sweetest Place on Earth during its annual Hersheypark In The Dark. There’s only one magical weekend left (Halloween, Oct. 29-31, 2021), and I wanted to reveal a few reasons why you need to relish in their high octane, autumn extravaganza. Doing so will prime you to want to ENTER TO WIN FOUR FREE TICKETS to Hersheypark Christmas Candylane!

1. Ride ’em … The majority of your favorite rides and rollercoasters are open. These include Laff Trakk, Reese’s Cupfusion, Skyrush, sooperdooperLooper and the Monorail. The water park, however, is closed.

2. In the dark! Experience an adrenaline rush with intense lights-out rides on Candymonium, Comet, Laff Trakk, Lightning Racer and Wildcat. After a year where Hersheypark closed early, it was a thrill to ride after dark.

3. Hershey’s Trick-or-Treat Trail: We loved navigating the festive Boardwalk “Treatville” area snagging sweet candy at every turn. There are 10 pit-stops in the park for children under 12 years of age as well as three additional stops in Hershey’s Chocolate World distributing classics like Hershey Bars, Kit Kats, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Bags provided, too.

4. Feeling Halloween-y: Celebrate Halloween at Hersheypark! In addition to trick-or-treating, loads of families dress up in costume. Dense fog and strobe lights abound along with glowing pumpkins and spooky music. It all adds to the festive autumn decor, especially after sundown.

5. Fall-inspired treat overload: Pumpkin-spiced donuts, king-size shakes, sundaes and funnel cakes are added to all of your usual Hershey favorites. You must try the warm, pumpkin-spiced, mini donuts. To die for!

6. Hershey’s newest region, Chocolatetown, is open: Our favorite place on the property, The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio, was exactly what our family needed to recharge before being thrust back into the high energy of Hersheypark In The Dark. Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor was our go-to destination for snacks (the grilled cheese and tater tots are heavenly) and ice cream sundaes. The Supply Company store is where our daughter fell in love with our newest “stuffy” (see photo). This shop was a much more quiet and pleasurable experience than the overcrowded Hershey’s Chocolate Town.

7. Visit on Friday and/or Sunday at Hersheypark in the Dark to enjoy less congestion: Smaller crowds means enjoying more time on your favorite rides and attractions. Beware: Based on our experience and crowdsourcing other families, Saturday is packed with park guests and had the longest wait-times on most of the rides. Either way, download the Hersheypark app for real-time, “wait times” to help you plan your agenda.

8. Stay overnight at an official Hersheypark Resort. Instead of driving three hours back to New York City after an exciting day of thrills in Hersheypark, we stayed overnight at Hershey Lodge — located just a few minutes from the amusement park. Hershey Lodge, one of three official lodging sites, was a wonderful experience! The comfortable accommodations combined with free resort access benefits, including convenient shuttle bus service to/from Hersheypark, early entry to the park the night before with the “preview plan,” access to the indoor Hershey’s Water Works water park, chocolate bars at check-in, character meet and greets, and even chocolate bingo.

Overall, the most compelling reason to attend Hersheypark in the Dark is because it’s an electrifying, entertaining, and memorable family experience. We’re still reflecting about whirling around Laff Trakk in complete darkness and seeing Hersheypark aglow as we careened on Candymonium.

Ticket Giveaway: Hersheypark Christmas Candylane

After Hersheypark in the Dark wraps this weekend, the park is decked out with more than 5 million lights for their most merry event of the year, Hersheypark Christmas Candylane.

Starting Nov. 12 and running through Jan. 2, families can enjoy their favorite rides and coasters, a visit with Santa, festive Hershey Character experiences and more. Want to win tickets to attend with your family?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• *Update* -This Contest has been closed. Congratulations to the two lucky winners: 1. Maria M., 2. Judith M. Please check your inboxes 🙂
• We’re giving away two sets of family four-packs of 1-day ticket admission to Hersheypark. (Each winner will receive four 1-day passes.)
• Contest runs Oct. 29 through Nov. 10, 2021.
• Entrants must be 18 years or older and residents of the United States.
• TWO winners will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter after the entry period ends Nov. 10, 2021.
• Winner must follow Rafflecopter instructions for getting entries
• Winner must supply email address to receive four electronic tickets to Hershey’s Christmas Candylane for 2021. Tickets are for one daily admission to Hersheypark during Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. The tickets expire Jan. 2, 2022.
• Hersheypark charges a separate fee for parking, which is NOT included with these tickets. The winner will need to pay for parking if needed.
• City Dads Group is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets.

Disclosure: Lance Somerfeld is a member of Hersheypark’s Sweetest Families Program. The program includes complimentary park passes and hotel accommodations for his family provided by the kind folks at Hershey’s Entertainment & Resorts. His thoughts, opinions and Hersheypark tips are genuine and have not been influenced by the brand.

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