Knott’s Spooky Farm is in full swing at the Knott’s Berry Farm park. This Halloween season overlay of the park is the family friendly sister festival to the Scary Farm that takes over at night. This last weekend was the first of many to catch some family thrills and chills with shows and rides that will entertainment and add some small frights to the day.
The Trip to Camp Spooky is a wonderful overlay for the Grand Sierra Railroad at Camp Snoopy. Several visions of monsters and ghouls line the track along with several Peanuts characters. Another very fun overlay is the Halloween Hootenanny on the Timber Mountain Log Ride. First, it’s a classic ride to go on. Second, it features a wonderful soundtrack by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. Some zany effects and stories go along with the wet attraction.
One great attraction with a Halloween theme is the Calico Candy Mine Ride. This overlay to the Calico Mine Ride features some wonderful scenes filled with candy…and some great smells too! The whole ride is like one big candy bag full of favorite treats!
Throughout Camp Snoopy are some great decorations that get guests into the Autumn spirit. Jack O’Lanterns are on almost every pole. And over by the middle waterfall are some spooky, yet silly decorations for the Halloween time. I loved the great little puns that were on some graves there.
Also in Camp Snoopy is a chance to meet some favorite Peanuts characters. I spotted Sally as a fairy, Franklin as a vampire, and Snoopy as a masked beagle. It’s some great and unique photo opportunities for the whole family.
Several new shows started for the Spooky Farm time. Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies are performing during the day at the Calico Mine Stage. The group is up to their old antics. The sets, so far, are incorporating some Halloween tunes as they get in the spirit of the season. They also perform during the Calico Costume Cavalcade. This is an interactive show that brings together some of the citizens of Calico, the Peanuts gang, the Hillbillies and the audience to participate in showing off costumes. It’s an adorable show and since it is toward the end of the day it’s a nice finale to bring together many of the adventures throughout the day.
But, going backwards a bit, there are some more entertaining venues to take a look at. Great Pumpkin Palooza is the new show at Camp Snoopy Theater. Linus and Lucy stumble over to a growing pumpkin patch and get the whole audience in on dancing and clapping along. It was fun to see Snoopy become a gardener that brings the pumpkin patch to life.
Over at the Bird Cage Theater is the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. In a spooktacular show, several puppets dance and sing to Halloween tunes. It is a festive experience that had the audience cheering along with the several musical numbers the puppeteers perform in. Many puppets have personalities and interesting abilities in the performance. It is a great midday stop.
It feels like the tip of the iceberg to discuss all of these things. There is A LOT to do for the Spooky Farm time. A new show at the Fiesta Village, Dia De Los Muertos, Vivir! is inspired by Hispanic traditions and heritage. Creepy critters have taken over the Ghost Town barn. KNOT Radio is a wonderful Boardwalk area show to listen to. Plus a lot of great rides, like Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, and the wonderful food scattered around the park! There’s even some crafters’ booths in Calico Square to shop at. Oh and trick or treating! Kids can go around Ghost Town and get handfuls of candy, all included in admission.
It takes a couple of days to really fit everything in. I often say that about Knott’s festivals, but we tried to get a lot done in one day. The park is closing earlier because of Scary Farm on weekend nights. It means there is less time to see all the Spooky Farm festivities. BUT, getting a season pass is the way to go. I can say that having one. It is just wonderful fun to see these shows at different times and interact with the Peanuts gang, especially seeing all their costumes. It’s worth going to check out.
Spooky Farm is a wonderful young family event, and a great alternative to some of the more adult events in several theme parks, including Knott’s Scary Farm. It’s really an add-on to an already great day in the park, and wonderful that Knott’s offers it!
