Photo: Jon Roost. View full-sized image.
On a warm June Sunday in Muskegon, Michigan, 100 ACE members from 10 states gathered at Michigan's Adventure for Timbersfest, highlighted by exclusive access, unique experiences and a strong sense of community.
Michigan’s Adventure and members of the ACE Eastern Great Lakes team welcomed attendees.
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Thunderhawk.
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The day's events kicked off with the season's first Ride-A-Thon, held on Thunderhawk, the park's Vekoma suspended looping coaster. Many participants took on the challenge of riding as many times as possible in a single hour, creating an energetic and competitive atmosphere. When the final rides were counted, Hadley Kostanecki emerged as the winner — making the achievement even more special as she was also celebrating her birthday at her very first ACE event.
Park President Carson Weingart discussed park upgrades and the park’s new owners at lunch.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
Following a full afternoon in the park, attendees gathered at Mary Lynn's for a delicious group meal, providing an opportunity to relax and connect with fellow enthusiasts. The highlight of the meal was a Q&A session with Michigan's Adventure Park President Carson Weingart, who expressed optimism about the park's future under its new ownership, Enchanted Parks. He also shared that the park has already undergone sound and operational system upgrades, along with beautification efforts on Grand Rapids and Logger's Run.
Next, members were treated to their first behind-the-scenes tour at Michigan's Adventure, which highlighted both the history of the park and improvements made over the years. Led by Weingart, the tour stretched from one corner of the 264-acre property to the other. At more than two miles in length, it may have been one of the longest behind-the-scenes tours in ACE history.
The behind-the-scenes tour began at the human resources office.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
The tour also covered ride maintenance and ride components.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
The tour began at the human resources offices, which were previously the headquarters of the park's excavating company, before continuing through the park's training facility, where members saw several defunct ride vehicles. From there, the group entered the massive new maintenance facility, offering a behind-the-scenes look at ride units being refurbished and a wide array of ride components.
Wolverine Wildcat.
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Wolverine Wildcat.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
The tour then returned to the park and through a gate behind Thunderhawk, allowing attendees to walk along an employee-only path connecting the front and back sections. Along the way, members were treated to unique views of Wolverine Wildcat as Weingart explained the extensive refurbishment and preservation work the ride continues to receive.
Attendees went behind-the-scenes to have a closer look at the operation of Shivering Timbers.
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Shivering Timbers.
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Finally, the group made its way to Shivering Timbers, where attendees walked all the way out around the far turnaround, getting an up-close look at one of the world's longest roller coasters. Weingart shared the ride's history along with insights into recent retracking work that has helped the coaster run faster and smoother than ever.
After the tour, the park continued to offer memorable moments, including rides on Zach's Zoomer, allowing members to enjoy the ACE Coaster Classic and celebrate another piece of the park's coaster lineup.
Mad Mouse.
Photo: Alex Doak. View full-sized image.
As the day turned to evening, Timbersfest lived up to its name with an exhilarating finale. After park closing, attendees were treated to one hour of ERT on Shivering Timbers. With minimal waits, members were able to enjoy multiple rides, taking full advantage of the exclusive ride time and soaking in the coaster's signature speed and airtime. Additional ERT on Wolverine Wildcat and Mad Mouse ensured something for everyone, capping off the event with a night of high-energy rides shared among friends old and new.
Timbersfest proved to be a standout event, combining exclusive experiences, strong member attendance and meaningful engagement with park leadership. The Eastern Great Lakes region is grateful to Lisa Brown, Jill Emery, Payton Knisley, Megan Ramos and Carson Weingart of Michigan's Adventure for their hospitality, as well as to all the volunteers who helped make the event a success.
— Jenn Fortney, ACE Eastern Great Lakes Assistant Regional Representative
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