Silver Dollar City kicks off 50th anniversary party

Silver Dollar City unveiled the plans for its yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, and the festivities include a new ride and a prize giveaway.

Thousands were on hand at the park Saturday for both the birthday announcements and the opening of the park's annual Christmas festivities.

One of the ways the park will celebrate its birthday is by debuting a new ride. The $7 million "Tom and Huck's RiverBlast" is a water-raft ride themed around Mark Twain's characters, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Riders will be armed with water soakers and battle each other and shooters on shore.

The park has planned birthday celebrations throughout the 2010 season, including a special party on the weekend of May 1 featuring a fireworks display and two concerts by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. There also will be $50,000 in prize giveaways throughout the season.

The Herschend family opened Silver Dollar City May 1, 1960, and more than 65 million guests have visited the park since it opened.

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