Clint Novak

Clint Novak is a co-owner and amusement industry consultant based in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His journey in the attractions world began in 1999 when he started as a ride operator at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Minnesota. His passion for roller coasters led him to co-found the Coaster Crew enthusiast club and launch the “In the Loop” podcast in 2004, pioneering amusement park podcasting before it was mainstream. The channel grew to over 10 million views and 100,000 subscribers. He later created Happily Ever Novak with his wife Shari, exploring resorts, restaurants, and amusement parks.

Clint joined Fun Land of Fredericksburg, formerly known as Central Park Fun-Land, initially as a ride attendant and quickly rose to General Manager. Under his leadership, the park added 16 rides and attractions, including Virginia’s Largest Multi-Level Go Kart Track, Thunder Speedway, built in 2019. He grew revenues from under $3 million to consistently over $5 million. His efforts culminated in Fun Land winning the Golden Ticket Award for Best Breakout FEC 2023 from Amusement Today, the highest accolade in the industry. He also ran monthly FEC Mastermind Calls for five years, uniting FEC owners across the country in a collaborative space.

After leaving Fun Land, Clint worked as a consultant for ANA Global for nearly two years, visiting approximately 250 FEC locations across the US and Canada. He then co-founded Cosmic Clawcade, now rebranded as Planet Novak, with business partner Nate. The claw machine-focused arcade is located at Spotsylvania Towne Centre in Fredericksburg, VA, and was taken from concept to opening in just a few months.

A fun fact about Clint: he always credits the success of Fun Land of Fredericksburg to the fact that he saw the park from a guest perspective. He says, “I was always engrossed on how I hate standing in lines. So how can we make it so there’s no lines to stand in?”