Meet Valleyfair's New Executive Chef

February 20, 2020

Kelsey Megard

Kelsey joined the Valleyfair team in 2017 as PR and Communications Manager. She enjoys eating endless funnel cakes, riding Renegade multiple times a day, and telling all the wonderful stories about the inner workings of Valleyfair. Twitter: @kelseymegard.

Valleyfair is excited to introduce our new executive chef, Sammy Alamri. Sammy brings over 20-years of experience to Valleyfair, and he excited to start leading our innovative culinary team.

Before coming to Valleyfair, Sammy was an executive chef at Target Center in Minneapolis. His work in entertainment venues showed Sammy that event dishes do not always have to be hot dogs and hamburgers.

"I do like stadium food, and I do like hot dogs, but I always try to take the food we serve to the next level," Sammy said, "I want to bring dishes to Valleyfair that you would find at fancier restaurants."

There are a lot of things that Sammy is excited about for this season, but he might be most excited about pairing a good meal with the perfect beverage. "There are things you don't typically see in a park that I want to try this season," Sammy said, "Why not have a nice charcuterie spread with a glass of wine at Valleyfair?"

Sammy wants to make sure that parents can sit back, relax, and enjoy a nice meal and beverage while their kids are off splashing in Soak City. He is excited to enhance Valleyfair's food and beverage in all aspects of the operation, from foodservice to staffing.

As one of five children, Sammy grew up in a busy house. He developed an appreciation for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine as a young child by watching his mother and grandmother create authentic dishes. Sammy's favorite recipes include dumplings and lamb with tons of spices. At home, Sammy likes to give his Mediterranean dishes some French flare.

Sammy holds several culinary certifications through American Culinary Federations and is a member of the Professional Chef's Association.

Related Topics:

Kelsey Megard

Writing Prompts to Inspire Thrilling Tales

To help kids keep up their penmanship and work on their storytelling skills, we’ve put together a few Valleyfair-inspired writing prompts for them to try at home. Once a day, have them sit down in a quiet place and write about one of the scenarios here!

Mar 27, 2020

Snoopy in Space: Home-Based Learning

Engage your children in learning at home with fun, educational activities inspired by Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang.

Mar 24, 2020

Performance Out of the Park Challenge

Every spring, Valleyfair welcomes countless performing groups to the park as a part of our Performance in the Park program. With students studying from home, we want to share that happiness now before the park opens.

Mar 23, 2020

Thrills from Your Living Room

Are you looking for fun thrills to keep you entertained? Valleyfair is here to help! We have some exciting ideas that are sure to keep you and your family amused.

Mar 06, 2020

Celebrating the Women of Valleyfair

This International Women's Day, we want to take the time to celebrate our female leadership team! Their dedication to the park inspires us, motivates us, and makes Valleyfair one of the best places to work in Minnesota.

Mar 04, 2020

10 Reasons to Take Your Class to Valleyfair

Valleyfair provides the perfect backdrop for out-of-classroom, school activities, and field trips. Make our amusement park your educational playground! Here are the top 10 reasons why you should bring your class to Valleyfair this year.

Feb 20, 2020