ACE Northwest

09/30/2026

We want to mention that the ACE Digital Events Committee is highlighting a park right here in the Pacific Northwest! On Friday, Oct 16 join ACE as Emily MacKay, the Oaks Park Marketing & Events Director shares more about the history and preservation of one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the United States. Come ready to ask questions and learn some fun facts about this charming park!

Register on the ACE Website Events Page https://www.ridewithace.com/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=c9649b14-fb99-4897-8079-01a0d07d9c96&Home=%2fevents%2fevent-description

09/28/2026

Enchanted Forest is now closed for the 2026 season but they have announced their opening day for next year as March 20th! Who all got to visit the park this season and who's thinking about going next year?

That’s a wrap! Thank you so much to all our team members, guests, friends, fans and followers for an amazing and busy season! Roger would be so happy 💚

Enchanted Forest will re-open
March 20th, 2027 🌲☀️🐿️

09/24/2026

After hearing some questions and concerns from our members about the new reservation system that is in place at Wild Waves for Fright Fest we have reached out to the park and they have told us that anyone registered for the ACE event will not need a reservation for the final day as a member of park management will personally es**rt our group into the park (members will still need a valid ticket or season pass for entry). We request that members arrive promptly at 2pm when the park opens and meet up with the group just outside the main entrance. We will be entering as a group at 2:15pm. If anyone is planning on coming later in the afternoon, you will need to make a reservation via the Wild Waves website as we will not return to the entrance to pick up anyone who is late. Any questions can be emailed to Assistant Representative John Niehaus at [email protected]

Join ACE Northwest on the final day of the season for Wild Waves Theme & Water Park before its permanent closure. Let’s all show the park how much it means to us one last time by catching the final wave on November 1!

For headcount purposes, please register through the link below. Guests are welcome, but registration is required to participate. A separate admission ticket or season pass will be required to enter the park.

https://www.ridewithace.com/ace-events/events-calendar

09/21/2026

Your Northwest Representative team not only dedicates itself to establishing strong, lasting relationships with all parks and major fairs in the region but also strives in the preservation and history of roller coasters and amusement parks throughout the Northwest.

In the upcoming issue of Rollercoaster Magazine, you will see the story of the late Roger Tofte, visionary and builder of Enchanted Forest in Oregon written by Northwest Representative Sean Randall.

Currently, we are working on telling the bigger story of Wild Waves Theme & Water Park, spending countless hours doing extensive research in local archives and exploring and discovering new “rabbit holes” along the way. We’re also in contact with a member of the Betts family which originally started the park as Enchanted Village in 1977.

The idea of this park came about after the “silver anniversary” of a tragic event that happened at the family’s previous park at what is now Redondo Beach, WA just northwest of Federal Way where Wild Waves now resides. The Redondo Beach boardwalk and amusements area featured several outdoor rides as well as the “Amusedrome”, a 3-story tall indoor entertainment center which had at the time the largest indoor skating rink in the state and a large dance hall. In 1951, the building was completely destroyed by fire in what was believed to be arson but never proven.

The amusement rides, however, were either relocated or put in storage. Two of these rides do currently exist and operate at Wild Waves to this day:

-The 1906 C.W. Parker carousel: the oldest continuously operating carousel in the state
-1928 Eli Bridge Big Wheel: it was originally thought the park received a newer wheel in 2016; however, our contact with the Betts family claimed that their original wheel was still there in 2009. The manufacturer plaque which was painted over on the wheel does confirm this claim as well as pictures from 1935 Redondo of the wheel add to it.

Please enjoy these historic photos and we intend to tell the deeper, complex story of Wild Waves in a future issue of Rollercoaster Magazine!

09/15/2026

And another we missed! Congratulations Josh Thompson of ACE North Central for their 700th coaster milestone on “Classic Coaster” at the Washington State Fairgrounds during the 2026 ACE Preservation Conference!

09/13/2026

We cannot thank McMenamins Elks Temple for being such a welcoming host for us again following Scones & Screams! Last Sunday at the Washington State Fair. ACE Northwest invited close friends and ACE volunteers that were heavily involved in the planning and implementation of the 2026 ACE Preservation Conference to join them for dinner at one of their favorite establishments which highlights preservation.

Our hostess, Molly, was absolutely brilliant and we were her first large group! Following dinner, Northwest Representative Sean Randall gave the group a grand tour of this fabulous place full of rich history!

The building, completed in 1916, was a temple for the Elks, until they moved to a newer facility in the 1950s. The building sat vacant and abandoned since 1986 and was a haven for local graffiti artists to do their work in. McMenamins restored it to its new glory featuring 6 bars (including a historic hidden speakeasy), a hotel, and an auditorium.

We held our first event there last year during our first annual “Cookies, Cocoa & Carousel!” event which started with dinner and a cookie exchange at the restaurant and followed with a visit to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Zoolights and a ride on the antique Carousel. Stay tuned to an announcement of this year’s event and location!

09/11/2026

Congratulations to ACE Membership Director, Joseph Ciza, for riding his 550th roller coaster, “Classic Coaster” at the Washington State Fair!

A worthy milestone on our local ACE Coaster Landmark and Classic.

09/10/2026

We want to hear from you! What parks would you like to see host an ACE Northwest regional event in 2027? Our rep team is meeting shortly to discuss the next season and we always love to hear from our members and also those from outside the region on what would get you to come back and visit us again! Feel free to drop a comment or message us directly if you have any thoughts on what you'd like to see offered in the 2027 season!

A reminder: we only oversee parks in Alaska, British Columbia (Canada), Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

09/09/2026

On Sunday, following the 2026 ACE Preservation Conference, 82 members and some guests joined us at the Washington State Fair Event Center. Attendees had an opportunity to learn about The Fair’s 126 year history from Fair Historians Patty Harmon and Paige Rooney. Following the first history presentation, we did an informal takeover of the historic 1917 PTC carousel: the world’s most complete traveling PTC carousel.

Later, our group did a takeover of “Wild Cat”, a Schwarzkopf steel coaster, taking a group photo prior to riding. ACE Northwest member, Justin King, rode it as his 50th rollercoaster! The day’s schedule ended with a group photo in front of “Classic Coaster”, the 91 year old John Miller wooden rollercoaster, and ACE Coaster Landmark. Ride supervisor, Glenn, who ACE Northwest has known for several years, worked with us to stagger trains full of ACEers and fair guests to help keep the line moving with the coaster only running one train at the time. Northwest member, Donald Lousberg Jr., rode it for the first time as his 250th coaster! Following, many of those who joined us went to other portions of the fair.

This event is officially ACE Northwest’s largest-attended event that we have put on our own. We had attendees from 14 states from as far west as Hawaii and as far east as New Jersey. We cannot thank enough Kalela Robinson for helping provide the best deal for our members as well as Patty and Paige for providing the time to meet with us. We would also like to thank Glenn and the ride operation staff of Funtastic Shows for providing a memorable experience for our members on “Classic Coaster”.

09/08/2026

Northwest Assistant Representative John Niehaus was on site at Wild Waves and was interviewed by Seattle NBC affiliate KING 5 on the final day of Wild Waves water park operations.

The amusement side of the park will remain operating on weekends along with Fright Fest beginning October 2 and Booville on September 26 until the final wave on November 1.

The water park was an integral part of summer for western Washington residents for 50 years.