SeaWorld® San Diego has a year-long list of reasons to visit the marine park in 2015, and the first is an all-new, eight-day Lunar New Year celebration, kicking off Feb. 13.
The park’s Lunar New Year Festival area will be alive with sights, sounds and aromas celebrating Asian culture. Featured will be Asian-inspired culinary offerings and a stage with cultural performances, such as taiko drummers and lion dancers.
The Chinese Acrobats of Hebei will amaze the audience with agility and grace displayed throughout seven different acts on the stage at the park’s recently renovated Mission Bay Theater.
At the front of the park and at the Lunar New Year Festival area, guests will be greeted with festive red décor and artwork depicting sheep, in honor of the Lunar New Year’s astrological symbol of 2015. And in keeping with the Chinese tradition of wishing good fortune and happiness to family and friends, each SeaWorld guest will receive a red envelope with a special gift inside.
Lunar New Year at SeaWorld dates are Feb. 13–16, 21–22 and Feb. 28–March 1. All of SeaWorld’s seasonal events are included with park admission, but the best way to enjoy all the fun is to purchase a 2015 SeaWorld Fun Card, which allows guests to come back again and again, all for the price of a single-day admission!
Here’s a look at the highlights of Lunar New Year at SeaWorld San Diego:
Chinese Acrobats of Hebei: Masters of agility and grace, theChinese Acrobats of Hebei combine Chinese traditions, incredible acrobatics, stunning costumes, Chinese props and a beautiful soundtrack. During 25-minute shows held four times a day at SeaWorld’s Mission Bay Theater, several acts will be performed including lion dancing, plate spinning, hoop diving, hat juggling, contortion and chair stacking.
Community stage: At SeaWorld’s Lunar New Year Festival area (located just east of the Explorer’s Reef™ arrival experience), the community stage* will be brimming with cultural entertainment including taiko drummers, lion dancers and fan dancers. There will be games for kids, and at the Wish Tree, guests can write a conservation wish on a red ribbon they purchase for $1 and place on the tree. The proceeds will benefit the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization that supports environmental, research and conservation projects all around the globe. *The community stage is sponsored by Coca-Cola, the official refreshment beverage of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
Asian-inspired culinary offerings: SeaWorld’s Lunar New Year Festival area will be brimming with Asian-inspired food choices! Soup Bowl Hut: duck lumpia, vegetable spring rolls, miso ramen soup and pot stickers; Tea Hut: shaved snow, sweet dorayaki griddle cakes and green tea; Stir Fry Cart: stir fry noodles and chow mein; Grill & Bao Cart: turkey legs with hoisin sauce and bao sandwiches (five-spice pork belly bun with pickled kimchee).
Animal visits: Trainers will bring some of SeaWorld’s ambassador animals to the Lunar New Year Festival area for up-close encounters with guests. Animals guests may see include Asian small-clawed river otters, an Asian water monitor and a Eurasian eagle owl.
Red envelopes with surprises: In keeping with the tradition of wishing prosperity and good fortune to family and friends, each guest who comes through the turnstiles during Lunar New Year will receive a red envelope with a surprise gift inside. Gifts will vary from guest to guest and will include free or discounted culinary samplings and premium seating at Mission Bay Theater for live performances of the Chinese Acrobats of Hebei.
In addition to Lunar New Year, other upcoming seasonal events include SeaWorld Wild Days (March 7–8, March 14–15, March 21-22 and March 28-29); SeaWorld’s Craft Beer & Food Festival (May 2–3, May 9–10, May 16–17 and May 23–24); Summer Nights (select dates May 23-Sept. 7); SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular® (weekends Sept. 26-Nov. 1); and SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration® (Nov. 21, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016).
SeaWorld is open year-round including holidays. Parking is $16 ($15 if purchased online); $11 for motorcycles; $21 for RVs and Up-Close ($20 for Up-Close if purchased online). Admission is $86 for ages 10 and older; $80 for ages 3–9; free for under 3. Guests may enjoy all of SeaWorld’s seasonal offerings in 2015 by purchasing a Fun Card, allowing them to visit the park over and over for the same price as single-day admission. Park hours vary by season. Visit www.SeaWorldSanDiego.com or call (800) 257-4268 for hours and information.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™ is a leading theme park and entertainment company delivering personal, interactive and educational experiences that blend imagination with nature and enable its customers to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world we share. The Company owns or licenses a portfolio of globally recognized brands including SeaWorld®, Shamu® and Busch Gardens®. Over its more than 50-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind collection of approximately 86,000 marine and terrestrial animals. The Company’s theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which it believes deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests. In addition to its theme parks, the Company has recently begun to leverage its brands into media, entertainment and consumer products.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is one of the world’s foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The company collectively cares for one of the largest animal collections in North America and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The company also rescues and rehabilitates ocean marine animals that are ill, injured and orphaned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld rescue team has helped more than 24,000 animals in need over the last 50 years.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary ofSeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: SEAS).
Kelly Terry
