Bonfante Gardens is extending its longest and most successful
season yet by an additional three weekends.
Bonfante Gardens is extending its longest and most successful season yet by an additional three weekends.
The family theme park, which for the first time in its three-year history remained open after Labor Day this year, will continue to operate on weekends through Nov. 16.
“We’ve had a really good fall at the park,” said Nicole Koebrich, spokeswoman for Paramount Parks, which took over Bonfante’s daily operations this year.
Increased attendance at the park on Hecker Pass Highway west of Gilroy has continued since it ceased daily operations after Labor Day weekend. The park also experienced its single most successful day ever this season, with record numbers visiting on Labor Day Sunday. It has since remained open on weekends.
“We just had a great fall and our guests are still coming to the park, so we want to make sure we keep our gates open,” Koebrich said.
Since opening in April under Paramount management, park attendance and season pass sales increased this year.
“We’ve made a significant operational turnaround this year,” said Bob Kraemer, chairman of the park’s board of directors.
Park officials have been especially pleased with attendance numbers over the past two and a half months, Kraemer said.
“It’s a very positive trend and one that we hope the public will continue to support,” he said. “We continue to need all the attendance we can get because we still have a debt situation to handle.”
While the park has seen a marked turnaround this year after poor attendance in seasons past, it still has millions of dollars in unpaid debts. The board of directors is currently appealing the state to waive part of the $400,000 owed in property taxes because the park is a non-profit entity.
Both the Gilroy City Council and Gilroy School District Board of Trustees have sent state officials letters of support asking that the property tax amount be lowered.
Meanwhile, the park continues to enjoy high attendance numbers and its first profitable season. Weekend operations kicked off the Harvest Festival, fall-related activities and attractions.
“The Harvest Festival has been greatly successful,” Koebrich said. “There’s a lot of kids’ activities going on at the park.”
Children can participate in harvest-themed arts and crafts, view friendly scarecrows displayed around the park, or even practice milking a pretend cow in the farmers market.
Harvest Festival activities end on Halloween but all regular rides and attractions will remain open through mid-November.
“The weather is beautiful, it’s a wonderful time of year, and we hope people continue to come,” Kraemer said.
