A Pleasantly Horrifying Dining Experience: Night of the Living Fed at HalloWeekends
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Oct. 15, 2021) – As HalloWeekends continues through Halloween night on Oct. 31, one of its most immersive, themed experiences happens in the culinary realm of the event. The Night of the Living Fed all-you-can-eat meal elevates menu selections, gives guests the chance to interact with Cedar Point’s monsters, known as Screamsters, and provides an atmosphere that’s unlike any other dining venue in the park.
“On the food and beverage team, our mission is to provide the best dining experience in the world,” said Chris Near, vice president of food and beverage at Cedar Point. “We continue to transform our dining programs to deliver a different kind of memory for our guests. We’re known for roller coasters and thrills, but we want our guests to also consider us as a destination for food.”
Served in the park’s Lakeside Convention Center, Night of the Living Fed is a sinister smorgasbord of more than 20 appetizers, entrees and desserts, including fresh bucatini pasta in a black pepper cream sauce, Korean-style country ribs, apple harvest salad with vanilla bean vinaigrette and whole salmon sides glazed in ginger, honey and brown sugar.
Guests can visit ten individual food stations, each decked out with seasonal décor and a few spooky surprises surrounding the serving dishes.
The food and beverage team transformed the Lakeside Convention Center into an underworldly environment, cloaking it in darkness and filling the expansive room with bouquets of dead flowers, coffins, skeletons, elaborate graveyard scenes, creatures of the deep, dusty old books, glass beakers, ancient potions, discovered relics and the busts of unknown, creepy characters. Scenic and special effects lighting are placed throughout the room to give it the zombie chef’s kiss.
“This isn’t a plain, ordinary laundry list of buffet items – utilizing our innovative festivals and celebrations like HalloWeekends, we present our guests unique and incredibly delicious food selections that cannot be found anywhere else,” said RJ Sinwald, executive chef at Cedar Point. “Our team of chefs is constantly trying to push the culinary boundaries of what can be offered. Where else can you enjoy herb-crusted standing rib roast alongside an undead Screamster?”
While the featured specialties are the stars, Cedar Point’s culinary team was mindful to include a wide variety of food choices to accommodate the diverse palates of park guests.
“Knowing that everyone in the family is going to have individual preferences, we’ve included familiar items like broccoli & cheddar and minestrone soups, classic Caesar salad, garlic parmesan potatoes, honey-glazed chicken drumettes and even chicken tenders,” added Sinwald. “For dessert, guests can select from traditional favorites like pumpkin and pecan pies, assorted cookies and a variety of baked treats.”
Night of the Living Fed is just one part of Cedar Point’s dining blueprint. The park’s signature festivals like HalloWeekends, Frontier Festival and Cedar Point Nights have placed the spotlight on the capabilities of the food and beverage team. Those talents continue to expand beyond festivals and into the daily guest experience.
“When it comes to dining at Cedar Point, we’ve achieved many of our goals over the past few years, including the introduction of new food venues like French Quarter Confections, a re-invented Corral, The Wild Turnip for vegan and vegetarian options and the BackBeatQue barbeque location with its special outdoor entertainment patio,” added Near. “We continue to raise our own expectations which means this isn’t where the innovation ends – we’re just getting started.”
The Night of the Living Fed all-you-can-eat meal is served Friday and Saturday nights with two seatings at 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. Guests can save $5 when they purchase tickets online for $24.99 per person, plus applicable taxes and fees. Advanced purchase is recommended and park admission is not included.
For more information on Night of the Living Fed and all things HalloWeekends, visit cedarpoint.com. Halloween costumes, masks and face paint are not permitted for guests age 13 and older.
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