Kings Island getting Winterfest ready for big return

A holiday classic will return to Greater Cincinnati when Kings Island brings back Winterfest next week for the first time in 12 years.The festival will be included for 2017 gold- and platinum-level season pass holders. Winterfest, for those too young to remember, is a celebration of all things Christmas that filled the park from 1982 to 1992. After buying Kings Island in 1991, Paramount Communications ended Winterfest, then brought it back in 2005 for one season. Winterfest will include ice skating on the fountain, the park's 314-foot "Eiffel Tower" transformed into a Christmas tree with a state-of-the-art light show, a reindeer petting area, stage shows, a Snoopy ice show on the fountain and midway entertainment.