Spring is bursting and so is Belmont Park in Mission Beach, which is kicking off its colorful second annual Belmont in Bloom festival from April 1 through May 31.
In springtime, Belmont Park flourishes with color, life, and joy through one-of-a-kind photo opportunities and Instagrammable moments including towering flowers, tasty treats, and floral-inspired cocktails at boardwalk eateries.
Fun and attractions at Belmont in Bloom will feature live art performances and community “give back” events. You can also gift mom a day at the park for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14 with a “Mom-osa” from the traveling bubble cart, along with brunch by the beach.
Belmont in Bloom will be a many-splendored thing and a continuation of the oceanside amusement park’s restoration and revitalization. “We fully reopened after COVID in April 2021,” said park general manager Steve Thomas. “Since 2014, we have rebuilt the restaurants and the Plunge pool building, as well as building a new rock wall this year and adding another 2,000 square feet to our arcade with 20 or more games, which are new, fresh, and updated.”
Starting in 2019, Thomas said a conscious decision was made to begin promoting the amusement park on a seasonal basis, launching a Winter Wonderland festival in 2020 and a Harvest Walk fall festival in 2021, before debuting the Belmont in Bloom fest in 2022.
“We’re going to have a seven-days-a-week floral activation throughout the park including sculptures and picture opportunities to bring spring to life,” said Thomas. “Then on weekends, we will have action character appearances with a flower princess, dancing tulips, a balloon twister, a bubble girl, and the Easter Bunny on Easter weekend. We will have face painting and live music in our food court on April 27 and May 25. We will also have floral arrangement classes on different dates in April and May, as well as live music 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays and 3-5 p.m. Sundays every weekend of the two months.”
Also on weekends, Thomas said there will be a bubble bar from noon to 7 p.m. where adult park guests can come and sip mimosas.
Noting Belmont Park turns 98 this July 4th, Thomas said Belmont is “building toward our centennial celebration in 2025. We’re still cooking it up. But we’ve got some new projects we are working on, and we will be unveiling some new rides. It will be a lot of really fun stuff.”
Belmont Park has three full-service restaurants including Cannonball serving sushi on the rooftop overlooking the ocean, the Beach House Grill on the lower level overlooking the boardwalk, and Draft sports bar with an outdoor patio on the boardwalk.
BELMONT PARK
Where: 3146 Mission Blvd.
Belmont Park was developed by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and opened on July 4, 1925, as the Mission Beach Amusement Center.
Features: Giant Dipper roller coaster turns 98 this year. The Giant Dipper is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Plunge historic beachfront pool features floor-to-ceiling glass walls for ocean views and a retractable roof. Originally, the world’s largest saltwater pool was called the Natatorium.
Rides: Flip Out, Beach Blaster, Octotron, Overdrive Bumper Cars, Krazy Kars, Tilt-A-Whirl, Mic Drop, Liberty Carousel, Crazy Submarine, Wave Jumper, Speedway, Zero Gravity
Attractions: Laser Tag, Lazer Maze, Sky Ropes, Rock Wall, Zip Line, Tiki Town Mini Golf, Xanadu 7D Theater, Coconut Climb.
Games: Arcade, Escapology San Diego, Jungle Gems, Midway Games, Belmont Lanes Mini Bowling, Old Time Phone Booth.
Restaurants: Beach House Grill, Cannonball, Draft, Belmonty’s Burgers, Hot Dog on a Stick, Sweet Shoppe, Dippin’ Dots, Round Table Pizza, Icee, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Beach Treats, and Dole Whip.
