LAKE GEORGE, NY – You grew up with it as a kid, and watched with pride and delight as the park grew with you.
First there was Storytown, then Ghost Town, followed by International Village, Small World, and a whole new world of high-tech roller coasters to catapult you into the 21st century.
Now as The Great Escape celebrates its 47th season of unparalleled entertainment, the park is once again ready to expand its horizons as it welcomes for the first time ever an acrobatic, aerodynamic group of athletes whose history stretches back more than 2,500 years.
Making their New York debut, the Incredible Acrobats of China arrive at The Great Escape on Saturday, May 26, when the park opens daily for the 2001 season (The Great Escape officially opens on Saturday, May 19, for that weekend only).
As members of the New Shanghai Circus, the Incredible Acrobats of China are the preeminent group among more than 250 professional acrobatic, magic and circus troupes in the People’s Republic of China. They are recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records for having won more gold, silver and bronze medals in domestic and international acrobatic and circus competitions than any other Chinese acrobatic troupe, and have been demonstrating their unparalleled athletic ability throughout Asia and Europe for several decades.
“I think visitors to The Great Escape will be in for quite a treat this summer,” said John Collins, general manager of The Great Escape. “This group of performers is unlike anything ever seen at the park.”
The Incredible Acrobats of China will perform four shows daily through Labor Day, as well as an additional evening show on weekends.
From an all-star cast of Chinese acrobats to an all-star cast of country artists, The Great Escape will feature the best country music of today and yesterday when “Real Country” delivers a real blast all summer long. Set to a western and patriotic backdrop, visitors will be treated to the tunes of such country legends as Patsy Cline and Garth Brooks. “Real Country” will be performed four times daily at the Red Garter Saloon.
The 2001 season will also deliver unprecedented value for season pass holders. For the first time ever, Great Escape season pass holders will receive unlimited, free admission to Six Flags theme parks (not valid at Six Flags waterparks).
Starting April 2, Great Escape season passes will go on sale at participating Price Chopper locations and at The Great Escape for just $59.99 per person through May 27 or while supplies last. It’s a summer’s worth of fun for what it costs to fill-up some large sport-utility vehicles!
The 2001 season also marks the return of The Great Escape’s five great roller coasters from the legendary Comet – perennially chosen among the top ten coasters throughout the world – to the thrilling Nightmare, an indoor ride that reaches speeds of up to 35 miles per hour in total darkness.
Combining elements from the park’s Storytown USA days, when Mother Goose ruled the roost, to today’s fast-paced, hi-tech roller coasters of the 21st century, The Great Escape is one of the few remaining venues where old and new co-exist in such delightful harmony.
The Great Escape – the nation’s oldest theme park, predating Disneyland by one year – transcends generations of theme park lovers and provides a common linkage between today’s youngsters and the Baby Boomers of yesteryear.
To the millions of loyal fans who have watched The Great Escape evolve from a five-acre park to what is today one of the largest theme parks in New York State, many are no doubt left wistfully uttering, “My, have we grown!”
It is therefore fitting that The Great Escape is now a member of the Six Flags family, the world’s largest regional theme park company similarly rich in history. Six Flags began forty years ago on a little scratch of prairie land between Dallas and Forth Worth, Texas, with the vision of a Texas oil baron named Angus Wynne. Wynne imagined a regional amusement park, large in scope – bigger than Disneyland – but closer to where people lived, making it convenient and affordable. The result was Six Flags Over Texas, featuring innovative rides, complemented by brilliant theme presentations.
For more information on the upcoming 2001 season, please contact The Great Escape at (518) 792-3500, or log on to thegreatescape.com or sixflags.com.
The Great Escape is owned by Six Flags, Inc., the world’s largest regional theme park company with 39 parks, including parks in North America, Latin America and Europe. Six Flags parks serve 20 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. The parks annually host more than 50 million guests worldwide. A publicly held corporation with corporate offices in New York and Oklahoma City, the company’s stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol: PKS. | 