Family Friendly Freestyle

Still on track for a Memorial Day weekend debut, the gates at Freestyle Music Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C., recently opened for the unveiling of the park’s “Kids in America” children’s area.

The area will feature four new music-themed rides in line with FMP’s family-friendly revamp.

The park, which was built for $400 million and opened in 2008 bearing the Hard Rock moniker as the world’s largest rock ’n’ roll theme park, was sold in a $25 million bankruptcy sale to FPI MB Entertainment in March.

The company had said in court that it was looking to hold on to the Hard Rock branding at the site, which reportedly cost the previous owners $2.5 million in a licensing agreement but, following the sale, FPI announced the site would be rebranded.

The park has undergone changes to become a destination not just for rock fans, but also lovers of “country, reggae, beach music, pop, R&B, alternative, Christian and disco,” FPI said in a statement.

New attractions include “Life Is A Highway,” “Wheels In The Sky,” “Fly Like An Eagle” and “Get Off Of My Cloud.”

While the economy took its toll on the Hard Rock Park, director of sales and marketing John Stine told reporters at the park that family friendly changes at FMP should boost traffic.

“The economy is what it is, but we also know people need to get away,” he said. “They need to forget about troubled times and they need to get away with their family.”