Bartow County is getting a new water park in 2026 called Splashville. This apparent name was announced through it being featured on the Bartow County Parks & Recreation float during the Cartersville, Georgia Christmas parade. The water park construction has been underway for some time adjacent to the new indoor gym facility, but the name and May 2026 opening date were new. The name is a play on Cartersville where it is located in the Hamilton Crossing area of town. The water park is adjacent to the new Bartow County Gymnasium and Recreation center which opened January 16, 2026.

It appears that Brian Bacica will shortly no longer be with Busch Gardens Tampa and will be moving to LegoLand Florida. This is according to well informed sources at Busch Gardens as well as a Screen shot of an internal Merlin message announcing him joining LegoLand Florida as VP on December 10th. I was able to independently confirm the LegoLand VP opening through a connection vying for the position. Busch Gardens will have its 3rd park President in the last year, which is an incredible amount of turnover. The new President inherits a park with tremendous history and world class coasters, but with increasing perception that Busch Gardens Tampa is a park on decline. Hopefully 2026 will bring great things for the park!

If you’re a teacher, work in healthcare, are in in the military, a veterans or a first responder you can get a free ticket this month (November 2025) to Six Flags Over Georgia as part of their DC Heroes Fest. These local heroes may also purchase up to six (6) friends and family tickets for $19.99 each. Free and discounted tickets can be can be obtained in person on the day of their visit with Applicable ID. During DC Heroes Fest guests can enjoy special live performances, face painting, arts and crafts, photo opportunities, exclusive character meet-and-greets and their favorite rides. All the information and rules can be found at https://www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia/events/DC-heroes-fest.