It was a scorcher this week at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Temperatures hovered in the triple digits on the day we visited and only the most persevering thrill seekers dared brave the relentless heat. Despite the insane mercury levels, we bring you an update from the Farm.  This week we cover news odds and ends as well as Halloween Haunt construction photos. Camp Spooky will be running during weekends in October and Knott’s Scary Farm will be available in the evenings for the braver souls.  Speaking of Haunt, we got a special look at how the actors for this awesome event are trained to scare.  Come along with us as we visit Scare School to see how it’s all done.

Front Gate

The front gates are becoming a spooky first act to the farm as Halloween moves in.  Pumpkin headed specters have been installed on the pillars facing inward to the park.  There will definitely be more coming.

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Camp Spooky

Knott’s isn’t all about the hardcore scare.  During weekends in October, Camp Snoopy is called Camp Spooky and is filled with all sorts of ghostly fun for kiddies.

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Peanuts Costume Parade

Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang are hosting a costume parade in the Camp Spooky Theatre and kids are invited to participate! The costume parade and contest follows the 3:45 pm Camp Spooky Theatre show on Saturdays and Sundays. Children who participate can win all sorts of magnificent prizes.

“The Monsters are Coming, Charlie Brown” in the Camp Spooky Theatre

Charlie Brown’s throwing a Halloween Party and you’re invited. Head to the Camp Spooky Theatre to watch the Peanuts Gang in “The Monsters are Coming, Charlie Brown.”

Mini Monster Maze

Complete fun obstacle challenges as you roam through the Mini Monster Maze and be rewarded with sweet treats waiting for you at the end.

Photo Forest

Spooky interactive photo opportunities abound in this section of Camp Spooky. Create your own unique monster creation in the Mummy’s Manor. Step through the mysterious mirrors of Medusa’s Bug Boutique filled with real creepy crawlers. Bring your friends to the Witch’s Tea Party and warm up near the cackling cauldron.

Witch’s Potion Station

The Witch’s cauldron bubbles and boils as she cackles and creates her special potions. Mix and match her different potions to bring home your very own delicious creation.
*A small additional fee is required for this experience

So far, there really isn’t too much to be seen in either the Camp Spooky or Special Ops: Infected experience for the evenings.  We are sure that very soon things will become more festive.

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Fiesta Village

Fiesta Village is transitioning into the new scare zone, Dia De Los Muertos.  There are bigger pops of color with flags and streamers hung throughout.  Nestled in planters are the new Dia figures.  They are surpisingly pretty.

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La Revolucion

Speaking of Fiesta Village, La Revolution is behind walls for another refurbishment. Most notable is the removal of the souvenir stand that was right next to the attraction. This was a move that made perfect sense. What we are concerned about is the fate of that lovely tile mural that graced the side of the building.  We hope that it still lives somewhere.

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Boardwalk

The Boardwalk is slowly becoming more CarnEVIL.  Sepia toned freak show banners adorn nearly every light post and one of the Haunt Hearsts is parked in front of Xcelorator.

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Halloween Haunt

Speaking of Halloween Haunt, we checked on the visible progress of the mazes out in the open.  Knott’s has really worked to try and build a larger divide between day show and night show during the run of haunt.  In doing so they have moved most of the mazes backstage.  Only three now remain out in the open.

Gunslinger’s Grave

The wonderful Gunslinger’s Grave is receiving its final touches as three roller coasters operate simultaneously above it.

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Trapped: Lock and Key

Well, Trapped: Lock and Key is under, uh, tight security.  This is pretty much all that one can see or will see until they enter the building to fight to stay alive.

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Black Magic

Voted by MiceChat as one of the top 5 mazes in the country last year, Black Magic returns to summon the paranormal realm once more.  We simply can’t wait to go back in.  It’s wonderful.

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The Witch’s Keep

This year, the Calico Mine Ride will be going down for one day to allow for the installation of the creepy Witches Keep overlay.  If you haven’t seen this attraction at Halloween you should.  It’s a deliciously spooky journey though the mine.

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The Hanging

Of course we know The Hanging: Everything is Greusome, is being constructed in Calico Square right now.  Who will be hung this year?  Any guesses?

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Ghost Town

We close things out by wandering the original scare zone, Ghost Town.  Ravens dot the awnings over the store fronts in Ghost Town while spider webs creep further throughout the town.

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Scare School

Knott’s Scary Farm begins its 42nd year of fear on Thursday, September 25th.  With the scares comes a ton of blood, sweat, more blood, and tears.  Over 1,000 actors must be trained in their parts either in mazes or out on the streets weeks before the event.  It has to get done, and done well.

Knott’s invited us to check out what they call “Scare School” so that we could get an idea of how these monsters are trained.  Granted, they passed the audition process, so they had to have been scary enough.  But there is a little bit of a difference between playing a vampire and playing a malevolent puppet who is seeking revenge by skinning his victims.  It’s subtle but it’s there. 😉

One of the groups we witness being trained was the ensemble for Pinocchio Unstrung which is a nasty retelling of the fable of a puppet desiring to be a real boy.  In this version of the story, the titular character doesn’t get his wish and begins to go on a rampage.

Maze Designer Brooke Walters stood outside the maze and coached the actors on how to walk, talk, growl and grumble.  She asked them to truly inhibit their characters be it a marionette on the loose, a spastic fairy, a disobedient young boy, or even a resident of the inner stomach of Monstro the Whale.  Once the actors were loosened up, they were placed in the maze and given over to their environment.

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We were then asked to tour the maze, with lighting on as the actors performed out of costume and make up.  We have to say that this crew really has energy this year and we were impressed with their wicked talent.  Some standouts occur in the beginning of the maze when the first actress muttering and giggling welcomes you into the maze.  The little actress inside Monstro is brilliant too.

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The Pleasure Island scene
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Enter Monstro if you dare.
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The animated figures in this maze are impressive.

While the actors are being trained, the make up and costuming departments are hard at work building the creations that will transform the actors further.  Costume Designer Timothy Barham manages thousands of costumes a night for each one of the actors.  At the end of the week, they spend 8 full hours washing the costumes at a local laundromat, taking over 500 washers and dryers.  You have to keep the monsters clean you know.

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But oddly, Tim doesn’t do windows.

 

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In the make up room the team is readying 2,531 prosthetics for use throughout the run.

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A skull mask from the new Voodoo maze
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The Tooth Fairy mask from the maze, Tooth Fairy.

That should do it for this week. If you’d like to join us at Knott’s Berry Farm for MiceChat’s Scary Farm event, check out THIS link right away. We are just about sold out on our biggest every Halloween event!

Norman Gidney
Norman Gidney, also known as Fishbulb, has produced and edited many of the articles on MiceChat over the years.