If it wasn’t for the Covid-19 pandemic, this years Winterfest would be the 3rd annual winter event at Dreamworld.
The inaugural relaunching of the Winterfest event in 2019 saw some new attractions bought into the park, new theming, new entertainment and new food options.
Winterfest 2021 builds on what they started with in 2019, with more entertainment, more wintery theming and a wider selection of food in the new Winterville Village. The Remembering the Golden Years team were invited to sample some of what 2021’s Winterfest event includes.
As you enter Dreamworld, it’s clear Jack Frost has taken over the park. There is snow on the buildings and snow falling from the sky. It is soo cold, an Icy toboggan has been setup on Main Street between Sky Voyager and the fountain.
Main Street and Ocean Parade have been setup with atmospheric lighting throughout, which if you follow leads you to Winterville, the new purpose built European food village.
The village is home to 3 food stalls and 1 merchandise outlet.
The food outlets are;
The Pretzel Stop
The Eatery (serving up Pork Knuckles)
Kenny and Belinda’s Waffles
Other food outlets outside of Winterville have seasonal offerings available, such as Barrels Burger Bar which is serving German Sausages, Dough Bros. Pizza is serving Schnitzels, and Green Bean Coffee serving a special European hot chocolate.
We sampled the Schnitzel and pork knuckles, but really it was the Kenny and Belinda waffles that impressed us the most.
The Kenny and Belinda Waffles are made on site, and are akin to those Mickey shaped waffles you can get at a Disney Theme Park.
The waffles are toasted as they are served to you, ensuring they are warm and crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. These waffles were hands down the best waffles we have had in Australia, and are tasty without any toppings, but if you wish to indulge even further, you can chose either Strawberries and Cream, Chocolate Indulgence or Nutella toppings to make them even more delicious.
Winterville is also home to Winterwares, which is Dreamworld’s foray into European homeware items, such as wooden Pinocchio statues, hats, beer steins, and an Impressive array of cuckoo clocks.
The entertainment on offer was a mix of traditional European dancing with modern day styles, and was certainly entertaining.
Whilst we were unable to sample it, the event also includes a proper ice skating rink in the Dreamworld Exhibition Centre, and an Ice Maze in the Billabong Restaurant building (next to Wiggles World).
In short, Winterfest 2021 is an expansion in a big way for what the event was when we last saw it in 2019. The Dreamworld team have done a good job pulling the event together, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store next.
Winterfest 2021 is included in your daily park admission (including annual passes) and is running from the 26th of June to the 11th of July. Park After Dark Winterfest Nights is running on 2 nights, 26th of June and 3rd of July, and is a seperate ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased on Dreamworld’s website - https://www.dreamworld.com.au/what-s-on/park-after-dark/