Holiday World’s Cannonball! construction moving forward as season highlights continue, fans asked to vote in national contest

The first pieces of track for Cannonball! water roller coaster have been installed at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.

While fans await the 2027 attraction, the 2026 season still has plenty of weekend fun on the calendar with the return of Friday Night Live! and the USA Today 10 Best-nominated Happy Halloween Weekends.

“Cannonball! construction has been moving quickly,” said park President and CEO Matt Eckert. “We like to work ahead of schedule and Cannonball! is no exception. These first pieces are part of the station, which means that our station building can now go vertical while we finish pouring footers and prepare for most of our track to arrive in October.”

Construction continues as the park remains open on weekends and for its signature evening event, Friday Night Live! During their Fridays-only event, Holiday World is open from 5 pm until 10 pm CST; Guests can enjoy night rides on the park’s roller coasters, live entertainment, and drink specials all night.

Holiday World’s fan-favorite Happy Halloween Weekends is nominated for USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards once again. The event, which begins September 19 this year, was named the #2 Theme Park Halloween Event last year. This year’s event will once again include a 12-acre Dino Corn Maze Adventure with lifelike dinosaurs throughout and will feature a dinosaur-themed drone show on Saturday Nights, named Dinos Soar in the Sky. Holiday World will have extended hours on select Saturdays in October. Guests who purchase a ticket for Sundays during Happy Halloween Weekends can enter the park on Saturday evening after 5 pm CST, free to enjoy the drone show and night rides thanks to the park’s Twilight Ticket.

“It’s so important to vote,” adds Eckert. “We’re so proud of building a fun family experience with trick-or-treating for kids, hayrides, and corn mazes that keeps growing in popularity. Halloween doesn’t have to be scary to be fun.”

Holiday World’s Summer Wine’d Down Culinary Festival continues through September 13 and features more than 40 new menu items across the parks’ restaurants. Guests can view the full 2026 calendar online for events and details.