For my family some places are more than amusement parks. They hold pieces of our childhood, people we miss, and memories we get to carry with us. There are places you visit once, take a few pictures, and move on. Then there are places that become part of your family’s story. For me, Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, has been one of those places for as long as I can remember.

It holds childhood memories, stories about my childhood and also memories about my family, memories of my daughter Suzzane, and even a Christmas dream I’ve carried for years. Now, thanks to an unexpected kindness from Six Flags, we’re getting ready to make some new memories. And I’m sitting here feeling grateful, thankful, and blessed.

When I think about Six Flags, one of the first people who comes to mind is my Uncle Chuck not my parents but my Uncle. Back when David and I had just finished high school and were dating back when the Dinosaurs roamed the face of the Earth as Charlie says, we went to Six Flags with Uncle Chuck, his friend Charles, my sister and brother, David, and me.

Uncle Chuck had a way of making an ordinary day memorable. Before we got on a ride, he’d read the warning signs. If the sign mentioned a medical condition, he would suddenly announce that he had it. Pregnancy? That was his excuse. A heart condition? He had that, too, if it meant he could skip a ride. I can still picture him finding a reason not to get on something while the rest of us went off to have fun.

And then there were the water rides. Uncle Chuck would put his belongings in his back pocket, get soaked, and then act surprised. He eventually decided that next time, everything needed to go in a Ziploc bag. I guess we all learn a little something from experience! That is why I miss him, Charles and ix Flags and wish Charlie had had the opportunity to go with him.

There was one thing Uncle Chuck would not do, though. He would not ride anything with me. When I was a child, I had rocked the Ferris wheel while we were over the water, even though he’d specifically asked me not to at a Amusement Park him and my parents took me to in Oklahoma where he lived.. Apparently, I had made quite an impression. He would ride with everybody else, but he wasn’t taking that chance with me again.

That never meant he didn’t love me. I was just a little stinker! Uncle Chuck is in heaven now, and I still miss him. Sometimes I think about how wonderful it would be to get one more day with the people we love. I don’t know what heaven will look like, or whether the streets will be paved in gold. But I have a feeling that somehow, someway, sometime, Uncle Chuck and I are going to ride something together. And I’m bringing a little Dolly and a little Rosie along to help convince him. I’m pretty sure I can get him on a ride this time. Or can I?

Another of my most treasured Six Flags memories involves my best friend, Debbie, whom I’ve known since second grade. Debbie took her son Catlin to Six Flags, and I took my daughter, Suzzane. We’d make a day of it and eat lunch at Cheddar’s, just around the corner. That was actually the first time I’d ever eaten at Cheddar’s.

Those trips became part of our story. Debbie and I still reminisce about them, and that means so much to me because she remembers Suzzane, too. Suzzane passed away just a couple of years later. When you’ve lost a child, the memories you made together become precious in ways that are hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced that kind of loss. I am thankful for every person who remembers her and every story we can still share.

One year, I bought Suzzane a Six Flags season pass. She went with her babysitter quite often, and she had plenty of adventures of her own. She also attended a high school ROTC Halloween event at the park. As she was leaving, a zombie jumped out and scared her. After that, she announced that clowns were off-limits because they were next to the Zombies. This was the same family that had previously enjoyed the circus, so you can imagine how funny that declaration seemed to me. One good scare, and suddenly clowns were out! But honestly I can’t blame her. Can you?

I wish I could tell Suzzane about all the things happening now. I wish she could be part of the new memories we’re getting ready to make. Since I can’t do that, I’ll keep telling her stories, remembering the laughter, and being grateful that I got to be her mom. As well as Charlie’s even though they never had the opportunity to meet which could be a good thing otherwise I might be in trouble.

Fast-forward to today, and Six Flags has become part of our family’s story again. I reached out about the opportunity to feature the park on Greatful Moments, and Kyle Kruthoffer, Manager of Social Media & Public Relations, helped make a visit possible. Six Flags provided complimentary admission tickets, parking, and dining and drink benefits with an approximate combined value of $305. Thank you, Kyle, and thank you to Six Flags Over Texas for giving us this opportunity. I don’t take that generosity for granted.

The plan is for Charlie, Bradley, and Ghost to visit during the Halloween season. They’ll get to experience the park for themselves, and we’ll share their firsthand thoughts in a separate review after their visit. I’m looking forward to hearing what they enjoy, what surprises them, and what advice they’d give someone planning a trip.

For now, I wanted to share why this opportunity means something to me personally, along with information that may help other families plan their own visits.
One thing I appreciate about seasonal events is that families don’t all want the same experience. Some people want pumpkins, costumes, and family-friendly activities. Others are ready for the darker, scarier side of Halloween.

Six Flags Over Texas offers different fall experiences, including Tricks and Treats, Oktoberfest, and Fright Fest. For 2026, the official events listing shows Tricks and Treats and Oktoberfest on Saturdays and Sundays from September 12 through November 1, while Fright Fest takes place on select nights from September 11 through November 1. Always check the official calendar for the exact date you’re considering. (Six Flags Over Texas events)

Tricks and Treats is the daytime, family-friendly Halloween option which is the time I would want to go if I was visiting. Oktoberfest brings seasonal food and entertainment and it is when David would want to attend. Fright Fest is for guests looking for more intense scares, with haunted attractions and other Halloween entertainment. Fright Fest is not recommended for children under 13, and access to haunted mazes may require a separate Haunted Attractions Pass or a qualifying bundle. Check exactly what your ticket includes before purchasing. (Official Fright Fest information) But this is what Ghost and Bradley would like.

My own family learned that a Halloween scare can become a story you tell for years. Suzzane’s zombie encounter certainly did!

Six Flags Over Texas: What First-Time Visitors Should Know– Six Flags Over Texas opened on August 5, 1961, and is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2026. Today, the park advertises more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions, including 14 roller coasters. One of the big additions for 2026 is Tormenta Rampaging Run, a major new coaster for thrill-seekers. (Six Flags Over Texas official website

Admission prices vary by date and offer. When I checked the official ticket page, online daily admission was advertised starting at $45 before applicable taxes and processing fees, while Fright Fest admission-and-haunted-maze bundles started at $69 before fees and taxes. These are starting prices, not guaranteed prices for every date. (Daily tickets and offers) Parking was listed starting at $39 for general parking and $55 for preferred parking, before applicable taxes and processing fees. Check the current parking page and consider purchasing in advance. (Official parking information)

A few practical things are worth knowing before you go:

• Check the date and hours. Seasonal events run on select dates, and hours can vary.
• Review ticket inclusions. General admission does not necessarily include every haunted attraction, special experience, meal, or add-on.
• Plan your food and drinks. Read the park’s current outside-food and beverage policy before packing a cooler or bringing snacks.
• Bring a payment card. Six Flags Over Texas says it accepts card payments only throughout the park, including restaurants, retail stores, ticket windows, and parking toll booths. Cash-to-card kiosks are available.
• Review accessibility and ride information. If someone in your group has mobility needs or wants to check ride requirements ahead of time, use the park’s official resources.
  The park’s Frequently Asked Questions, park policies, attractions directory, and accessibility information are useful places to start.

To make planning easier, I’ve put together three free, separate HTML printables: a first-timer’s planning guide, a Halloween visit planner, and a Holiday in the Park planner. You can print whichever one fits your trip without having to print this entire article.

Here’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time: visit Six Flags Over Texas at Christmas. I couldn’t afford to go during the Christmas season in years past. I wasn’t able to take Suzzane then, either. David and I did get to visit another time because tickets came through his work, and I was grateful for that opportunity. But the Christmas visit has remained on my wish list.

Holiday in the Park transforms the park for the season with holiday lights, entertainment, seasonal food and drinks, and opportunities to enjoy Christmas traditions. The official event listing currently shows select dates beginning November 22 and continuing through December 30, 2026, while other published park information has shown November 21 as the opening date. That is exactly why I recommend checking the official Holiday in the Park page and park calendar before making plans.

Maybe, Lord willing, David and I will get to go together one year. Maybe we can make it a family outing, or perhaps a birthday celebration for Charlie. I don’t know when it will happen, but I still have hope. I’ve even thought about asking for Six Flags tickets as a birthday or Christmas gift instead of another object to put in the house. The older I get, the more I value experiences and the memories we make together. I’d rather have a story to tell with David and the family than another thing to dust.

For now, I’m thankful that a place connected to so many chapters of my life is giving us the chance to create a new one. I’ll always have the memories of being a little girl, of Uncle Chuck’s ride-warning excuses, of laughing with Debbie, and of taking Suzzane to a place she enjoyed. Those memories don’t disappear just because the years move on.

And now there are new memories waiting to be made with Charlie and his friends. Thank you again to Kyle and Six Flags Over Texas for helping make this visit possible. I’ll share the boys’ and Ghosts experience after they go, and I hope our coverage helps another family decide which seasonal event might be right for them.

Some places are about the rides. Some are about the lights, the food, or the excitement. For me, Six Flags has always been about the people I went with and the memories I brought home. That’s one more reason I can say it today: I am grateful, thankful, and blessed. be watching as I ask Santa for tickets to Holiday in the Park when we go and help him load the Sleigh this year.

Now that we’ve featured Six Flags in our Interactive Halloween Gift Guide be watching for it in our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List as well.

• Six Flags Over Texas — Events
• Daily Tickets
• Parking
• Fright Fest
• Holiday in the Park
• Frequently Asked Questions

Have you been to Six Flags if so what is your favorite part of going and why?

Disclosure: Six Flags Over Texas provided complimentary admission tickets, parking, and dining/drink benefits for editorial coverage. The approximate combined value provided was $305. The boys’ firsthand visit review will be shared separately after their visit. All opinions and family memories shared here are my own.
Official Planning Links

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates