Many new rides, shows and events will make their debut in 2011. Here is a rundown of all the exciting details so you can mark your calendar and plan your getaway to Ohio's Largest Playground!

WindSeeker at Kings Island debuts April 30th

Kings Island will delight thrill seekers in 2011 with WindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall tower that will spin riders 30 stories above the park at speeds up to 30 mph.

Seated in two-person swings that will allow your feet to dangle, you will slowly begin rotating in a circular motion as the swings ascend the tower. When you reach the top, the swings will reach speeds up to 30 mph, flaring out 45 degrees from the tower! WindSeeker will make its debut when Kings Island opens for the 2011 season in the spring.

Smithsonian Exhibit at the Warren County History Center

The Warren County History Center will host a traveling Smithsonian Exhibit "Beyond Baseball, The Life of Roberto Clemente," August 27 - October 12. In this exhibit, you will learn how in his 38 years, Roberto Clemente became a baseball legend in the United States, but in his homeland and throughout Latin America he became a national and cultural icon.

Western & Southern Open now a combined event

For the first time the best men's and women's tennis players in the world will play throughout the same week at the Western & Southern Open (August 13-21).

In one trip to the Lindner Family Tennis Center you see stars from both the WTA and the ATP tours playing on courts right next to each other. Imagine seeing a day of highly energized, competitive matches featuring Andy Roddick, Rafeal Nadal and Venus Williams in the afternoon then watching Roger Federer and Serena Williams that night!

Night Hunters exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo

Night Hunters, a new exhibit about nocturnal predators and prey at the Cincinnati Zoo merges the best of the Zoo's Nocturnal House and Cat House (opening May 2011). The new indoor interactive experience will feature many diverse species such as a bearcat, aardvark, fishing cat, clouded leopard and much more! But don't worry, all your favorite big cats - lions, tigers and cheetahs - will still be roaming about in their outdoor homes.

Warren County Civil War Trail

In conjunction with the 150 year anniversary of the start of the Civil War, you can now explore Warren County's "Civil War Trail" by visiting the Warren County Genealogical Society and the county's other museums and historical societies.

Along the trail, you will discover how Ohio played an important role in the winning of the American Civil War. Learn about daring Confederate raids performed by Morgan's Raiders, how Ohio produced the generals (Grant and Sherman) who helped win the war for the Union and much more!

The oldest U.S. professional tennis tournament still played in its original city has been renamed the Western & Southern Open and will be held August 13-21, 2011 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Formerly named the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women's Open, the new Cincinnati tennis event will become a combined event, meaning the men and women will compete during the same week.

"The combined tournament coming in August 2011 will be the best product we've ever put on the courts in our 110-year history," said Paul Flory, tournament chairman. "The new logo and tournament name are necessary to represent the formation of this new event."

Information courtesy of CincyTennis.com.

The 2009 Dock Dogs National Championship is coming to Warren County, Ohio, October 16-18! More than 400 teams are expected to compete in this year's competition. The National Championship features three unique competitions: the long jump, the high jump and the speed retrieval. 

The weekend activities are free and open to the public. The entire competition will be held at the Kings Island Resort & Conference Center.

Going on the same weekend, just across the street at Kings Island is Halloween Haunt and Howl-o-Fest, the park's unique Halloween events. For help planning your stay for this busy weekend, view a list of hotels near Kings Island. 

MASON, OH - The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) will bring its 2009 National Tournament to Mason, Ohio, over the weekend of October 10-11, 2009.

The popular event is the largest Australian Rules Football tournament in the world, and will attract 1,000 players, officials and coaching staff, with a total of 32 men's teams spread across four divisions, as well as up to six women's teams. The tournament is hosted by Cincinnati's own Australian Rules Football team, the Cincinnati Dockers.

The event is expected to bring around 3,000 people to the area the weekend of October 10-11, with an estimated economic impact of $800,000.

"We are thrilled to return to the birthplace of Aussie Rules football in the US! The City of Mason, and the Warren County Convention and Visitor Bureau have been great partners in helping to bring the 2009 National Tournament to Mason, Ohio" said Rich Mann, USAFL President. "I want to thank the city again for everything they have done, and will do to make this an awesome event."

The USAFL or US Footy as it is known to the players, was formed in 1997 with a few Midwestern Teams (including the Cincinnati Dockers) and has grown into a 30 team National Championship event that moves its national championship around the country. USAFL has grown substantially since its inception in 1997. The first national championship was held in Cincinnati in 1998 and consisted of 15 teams, mostly from the Midwest. 

The sport is beginning to take route in colleges across the US and the youth version of the game is rapidly finding its way into cities across the country. While the City of Mason is hosting the National Championships in October, the USAFL, the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau (WCCVB), and the City of Mason will be working year-round to showcase the sport to the youth in the area.

WCCVB along with the City of Mason began working with US Footy to secure the National Championship bid in 2007. US Footy chose Warren County and the City of Mason because of willingness to work with US Footy and for the diverse product mix and world-class attractions such as Kings Island and Ozone Zipline Adventures, which presents a perfect back-drop for these tournaments. Warren County is a drivable market - and, with all there is to do, the athletes and families will have a great time before and after the tournament.

"We are so fortunate to have the City of Mason as the host for this national tournament, they were instrumental in securing this event" said Shirley Bonekemper, Executive Director of the WCCVB. "Mason has already established itself as a place to see great sports both internationally and nationally as the home to the Western & Southern Masters, the Western & Southern Women's Open, the AVP Mason Open, the Duramed Futures Tournament - and now we welcome the US Footy National Tournament."

The tournament will be held at Heritage Oak Park in Mason, OH. Located just north of Cincinnati and south of Dayton.

The fields for the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open (August 8-16) and Western & Southern Financial Group Masters (August 15-23) were announced yesterday. Roger Federer, Rafeal Nadal and Andy Roddick headline the men's event while Venus Williams, Serena Williams and world #1 Dinara Safina headline the women's event. Read more about the fields.

You can win 4 tickets to the W&SFG Women's Open finals, plus overnight accommodations at the Cincinnati Marriott Northeast (the official player's hotel) and 4 tickets to The Beach Waterpark. Register Now.  Deadline is July 31st.

The Duramed Futures Tour returns to the Grizzly Course at the Golf Center at Kings Island this weekend.  Watch the best on tour compete for a spot on the LPGA tour.

Get real-time scoring updates at http://duramedfuturesrealtime.com/2009/MasonRealTime.asp