Photo: Eggie Young. View full-sized image.
On Saturday, August 1, 2026, ACE Eastern Pennsylvania hosted its seventh annual CocoaCon at Hersheypark (Hershey, Pennsylvania) with 122 attendees. After ACE members and their guests checked in, the day began with an hour-long “Sweet Start,” which is Hersheypark’s early entry and is usually reserved for season passholders and hotel guests. During this time, participants could ride up to four roller coasters and various flat rides before the park opened to the public.
Chris Brown provided a backstory for the haunt Kill n’ Fill.
Photo: Linda Weisenstein. View full-sized image.
Attendees were on their own to see the sights of Kill n’ Fill.
From 11 a.m. until noon, CocoaCon guests were welcome to a lights-on tour of one of the park’s Dark Nights haunts: Kill n’ Fill. This behind-the-scenes tour started with a greeting and backstory by Chris Brown, director of planning and design for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. Brown then encouraged attendees to take a slow, self-guided tour, which allowed everyone to appreciate the finer details designed for this haunt that opened last year. Guest feedback from previous years of Dark Nights said that they wanted more blood and guts, and this house definitely delivered!
Coal Cracker.
Photo: Jessica Knouse. View full-sized image.
One of the reasons to ride the Kissing Tower is the great view of the park.
Photo: Richard Scavone. View full-sized image.
During the day, there were multiple informal takeover times scheduled, which included Coal Cracker, Twin Turnpike and Kissing Tower. Guests were also free to enjoy the park’s other rides including Comet, which just turned 80 years old!
Regional Rep Mike Matscherz welcomed everyone to CocoaCon.
The group dinner included hamburgers, smoked sausage, grilled Italian chicken, many sides, soft drinks and a variety of ice cream novelties. During this time, ACE Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Representative Mike Matscherz welcomed everyone to CocoaCon and introduced his regional rep team, along with various volunteers who helped make this event a success. Afterward, he held a new member meetup for several members who were attending their first ACE event.
Goblet Toss winners Andy Arnold and Katrina Arnold.
Photo: Jessica Knouse. View full-sized image.
As the sun set and the park closed to the public, attendees gathered at Great Bear to wait for Hersheypark’s staff to clear the park. While waiting, guests were welcome to join a friendly Goblet Toss Contest. Congratulations to Andy Arnold and Katrina Arnold, who both won the competition, being the only two people who scored points in this very challenging contest.
Twizzlers Twisted Gravity.
Photo: Richard Scavone. View full-sized image.
When the park was cleared, it was time for an hour of ERT on Twizzlers Twisted Gravity and Great Bear. Guests got lots of rides on these two attractions during that time thanks to the speedy operations teams and a smaller-than-normal crowd. Who doesn’t enjoy the roar of Great Bear in the dark?
Attendees were grateful to the ACE Eastern Pennsylvania team, event-day volunteers and Hersheypark’s amazing staff, especially Connor Dea in group sales and Chris Brown, for a wonderfully sweet day!
— Mike Matscherz, ACE Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Representative
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