Knott's Scary Farm

Knott's Scary Farm
Genre	Halloween
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Knotts Berry Farm 33°50′39″N 118°00′01″W / 33.844178°N 118.000267°W / 33.844178; -118.000267Coordinates: 33°50′39″N 118°00′01″W / 33.844178°N 118.000267°W / 33.844178; -118.000267
Inaugurated	1973
Website
Official website

Knott's Scary Farm or Knott's Halloween Haunt is a seasonal Halloween event at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It is an event in which the theme park is transformed into "160 acres of horror", via a series of over 1,000 monsters, 8 mazes^[1] and a series of 'scare zones'.^[2] It is the largest Halloween event to be held at a theme park.^[3]

History

Two street monsters posing by the Ghost Town Coffin.

Originally a three-night affair, beginning on October 26, 1973, the annual, month-long event celebrates its 42nd year in 2014.^[4] It has become the largest event of any theme park.^[5] The concept was introduced to the park's operations committee in a meeting in September 1973 by George Condos and Martha Boyd of the marketing department, and Bill Hollingshead and Gary Salisbury of the entertainment office. Bud Hurlbut, who built and operated (as a concessionaire) the Mine Ride, Log Ride and other rides, decided that having static props wasn't enough, so he put on a gorilla suit and scared guests as they rode on the Mine Ride. Halloween Haunt was an instant hit, and by the next year, the event sold out nightly.^[6] Knott's Berry Farm was originally modeled after Calico, California, a ghost town that was a result of the California silver rush. Already having a dedicated Ghost Town section in the theme park,^[7] this area would become the designed area for the original Halloween Haunt, eventually expanding to the entire park.^[8]

The 1980s would continue to be a success for the theme park, and popular culture icons were employed to represent the event. In 1981, actor and parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic joined the cast, as did Elvira in the following year.^[9] Elvira was prominently featured in many Halloween Haunt events until 2001. According to postings on her My Space page, Cassandra was released from her contract by the park's new owners due to their wanting a more family friendly appeal.^[10] The 1990s would show a different approach to Halloween. Humor was added to many facets in the theme park and Knott's turned from the explicit horror to black comedy.^[11] This continuing balance of horror and humor has been a key to the continuing success of Knott's Halloween Haunt.^[12]

Park transformation

While Knott's Berry Farm is a year-round theme park, the entire acreage is modified to fit the Halloween motif. Rides and other attractions are converted into macabre themes. Over 1,000 seasonal workers are specifically employed to play the roles of "clowns, werewolves, and monsters", roaming the 160-acre (0.65 km²) park in four terrifying scare zones, amidst haze produced by giant fog machines.^[13] Some characters have developed a special appeal, such as the legendary and infamous Sarah "The Green Witch" Marshall. Back in 1974 Diana Kelly was chosen to don the role of the Green Witch when Haunt began. After Diana left the Haunt she passed her role to Charlene Parker in 1982, and still to this day Parker is the longest serving of all the 1,000 "monsters" who scare the guests at this event. She has a reputation for "gliding" rather than walking, and catching guests by surprise, creating very effective scares. Some guests are so scared they wet their pants or collapse to the ground. She is known in the Knott's Security Department as the "number one cause of separated parties."^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]}

Charlene Parker, as the Green Witch.

Charlene Parker during the non-Haunt part of the year, serving as the Knott's spinner.

The park has constructed 10 mazes as of 2014 ^[1][27][28] and 4 scare zones^[29] as well as performing live shows. The controversial "Hanging" live show is a staple of the Haunt that lampoons celebrities and persons in the news through a series of staged hangings. The Hanging has been an annual event since the 1979 Halloween Haunt.^[30][31][32]

Current Haunted Attractions

Attraction history

See also

• Halloween Haunt, Halloween events at other Cedar Fair parks

References

External links

• Knott's Scary Farm official site
• Comprehensive tribute site
• Halloween Haunt reviews, photos, and video

Halloween events Community Halloween in the Castro Headless Horseman Hayride New York's Village Halloween Parade Pumpkin Fest Rutland Halloween Parade Shocktoberfest State Street Halloween Party (Madison) Terror Behind the Walls At theme parks Fright Fest Fright Nights HalloWeekends Halloween Haunt California's Great America Canada's Wonderland Dorney Park Kings Dominion Kings Island Halloween Horror Nights Halloween Spooktacular Howl-O-Scream Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Busch Gardens Williamsburg SeaWorld San Antonio Knott's Scary Farm Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party SCarowinds ValleyScare