MASON, Ohio — Guests are heading to Kings Island for the 50th anniversary of the theme park first opening in April 1972. 

Thousands are ready to celebrate, but few are as dedicated as one Cincinnati native. 

What You Need To Know

  • Nick Gaskins has perfect park attendance over the last three years at Kings Island

  • His wife, son and daughter all visit the park frequently 

  • Kings Island is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this season

  • Gaskins is hopeful to make the most of this special season, all while keeping his streak alive
​​Nick Gaskins stands out from the crowd. That’s because for the past three years, he’s made a stop at the park every day it’s been open. Friday’s pass holder opening is the start of year four. 

“Kings Island is a great place for myself and my family to come up, relax, ride some rides, eat a meal, have some blue ice cream and just forget about our day,” Gaskins said. 

Gaskins, his wife Crystal and son Nicholas Jr. were all excited for opening day. His daughter Cheyenne even works at the park in games. 

They have many traditions and favorite stops for each visit — the first is getting some of that famous blue ice cream. 

“It’s so unique to Kings Island. You can’t find this ice cream anywhere,” he said. “Other people have tried to duplicate it, but it’s not the same. 

For Gaskins, the perfect attendance streak hinges on a couple of key factors: staying healthy, living close and being available — especially for big occasions.  

“So my wife kind of gets on me a little bit: ‘You kinda put Kings Island first,’” he said jokingly. “Of course, I gotta be here. It’s the birthday!” 

Gaskins' streak overlaps with Kings Island’s Golden Anniversary — a celebration that’s set to continue all season. 

“That’s the great thing about turning 50, is that everyone who comes here, for the most part, has been here before,” Kings Island Director of Communications Chad Showalter said. “They have a special memory that they associate with Kings Island. We wanna help them remember that, but also make new memories this season.” 

The Gaskin family poses for a picture in front of fountains at Kings Island. (Tino Bovenzi/Spectrum News 1)

Gaskins plans to make the most of this season with his family.

“Growing up, we never had passes,” Gaskins said. “So I wanted to make sure my kids had the enjoyments of coming here riding rollercoaster — things that I couldn’t really do when I was a kid growing up. So we got the passes, we get the add ons — the drinks, the food, the fun pics, got the locker. This yea, we go the all-season fast lane. So we just wanna make this year, the 50th anniversary the best year possible.”

For more information about the 50th Anniversary Celebration at Kings Island, visit the official website.