COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions sent Valley Fair on a rollercoaster ride of its own in 2020 as the amusement park in Shakopee sat vacant, wondering when the doors would finally reopen.
That question will finally get a firm answer on Saturday when Valley Fair reopens to the public.
At first, crowd sizes inside the amusement park will be smaller, but will gradually increase as the days and weeks progress.
"As we get going, we will increase capacity and we're hoping that by mid-summer or towards the end of the summer that we'll be looking like a pretty normal operation," said Valley Fair communication manager Kelsey Megard.
The park will adopt standard COVID-19 protocols throughout the park including social distancing markers and hand sanitizing stations.
Among the changes, patrons must make park reservations in order to get into the park.
"That's one of the biggest changes," Megard said. "Reservations will help us manage capacity at the front gate. Making a reservation is easy. All you have to do is take your season pass or ticket number and go online."
In early March, Valley Fair announced they intended to hire 1,000 associates ahead of the May 22 reopening. Jobs remain available and come with a boost in pay.
Food and beverage employees, along with lifeguards, will have a starting rate of $15 per hour.
"Anyone over 16 years old can apply to work in our food and beverage department or as a lifeguard," Megard said. "We're really trying to be an industry leader."
Valley Fair does not require lifeguards to have training prior to applying. Instead, they will train lifeguards after they are hired.
"Valley Fair is kind of a community staple for everyone's first real job high schoolers or college students get," Megard said. "We've always had that reputation and I think the increased pay rate will help."
Reservations for Saturday's opener at Valley Fair are already booked, but Megard adds that there several opportunities to visit in the days and weeks ahead.