Dread Central Attends Preview Night for the 43rd Knott’s Scary Farm
Hitting the ground loping like a bloodthirsty wolf weeks before its competitors, Buena Park’s Knott’s Berry Farm revealed the line-up for its 43rd annual Knott’s Scary Farm run this past Wednesday night via an exclusive media night, and for haunt fans it’s time to get excited. Really, really excited.
Running for twenty-four nights from September 24 to October 31 (with tickets for the ENTIRE run PLUS parking currently available for a mere $70.00), the SoCal favorite haunt’s offering up three entirely new mazes in addition to the new “Elvira: Asylum” (a revitalized stage show from your favorite busty Mistress of the Dark) as well as the return of the immersive and beefed-up interactive zombie shooting experience via the much celebrated from 2014 “Special Op: Infected” (this year it’s called “Patient Zero”).
Of that attraction, in which park attendees must navigate a hostile environment overrun by the undead, weapons systems for 2015 are now apparently upgraded to the “Battle Rifle Pro,” an IR gun which contains not only a “kill streak reward system” (which will improve the weapon’s performance the more zombies it dispatches) but also a “health meter,” which will require its operator to hit checkpoints in order to re-charge. Call of Duty, much? And with a promised doubling from the previous year’s myriad shambling zombies, well, we’re kinda’ psyched.
Also new for 2015 is the maze “Paranormal, Inc. – Case #1: The Haunting of Hayden Hill” (in which guests will explore the haunted remains of a haunted hospital), “My Bloody Clementine” (which resides in the park’s Calico Mine ride, complete with LIVE monsters for 2015), and the maze “The Dead of Winter,” a journey into Norse icelands governed by a vengeful and bloody queen.
Welcomed into the Charles M. Schulz Theater on the park premises, which itself was overrun with scare-actors, screaming season pass holders, and an over-the-top entrance and finale by the park’s Green Witch, Knott’s also revealed the following attractions for 2015 (from their press release):
“Black Magic”: Houdini’s vengeful spirt continues to wreak havoc on the Faux Theater, where the veil between the living and the dead is severed. Houdini’s ghost comes alive and ushers a host of demonic illusions to play tricks on anyone who intrudes, only to finally meet Houdini in a show-stopping finale. Back for its third year, “Black Magic” is one of the most popular mazes at Scary Farm.
“Forevermore”: Follow the destruction of the “Forevermore Killer,” one haunting tale after another, as the slayer makes his way through one of the longest mazes ever created in Knott’s Scary Farm’s history. With a Skeleton Key, guests can witness the work of the Forevermore Killer firsthand.
“The Gunslinger’s Grave: A Blood Moon Rises”: Deadly howls and a full blood moon mark your impending doom as werewolves overrun the crime-stricken Old West town. Walk in the bloody footsteps of a betrayed and left for dead gunslinger on his path of retribution against the Skinwalkers.
“Pinocchio Unstrung”: Years have passed since the blue fairy denied him his final wish, but Pinocchio has returned with an army of murderous marionettes intent on killing his former masters. Meander your way through the carnage-riddled village and an all new sinful Pleasure Island and Skeleton Key Room. Revenge comes with no strings attached.
“The Tooth Fairy”: This twisted tooth fairy steals more than just baby teeth as he drags his victims out their bedroom window and into a world of deranged dentistry. Unbelievable special effects include a blackout room through which guests must feel their way out, a disorienting x-ray strobe light room, and new this year, an all-new Skeleton Key room… says aahhh.
“Trick-or-Treat”: Take a brave step forward and ring the witch’s doorbell… trick or treat, which will it be? After surviving her grisly welcome, wander into the Green Witch’s never-before-seen potion room and bewitched attic. But don’t leave too soon; you’re the special guest at the Green Witch’s deadly dinner party where she and her menacing Tricksters await your arrival.
“Voodoo – Order of the Serpent”: The haunting legend of Papa Legba continues as guests follow him on his foreboding journey to conjure the serpent demon goddess in the outskirts of New Orleans. Trudge cautiously through the cursed swamps of the Deep South, where creatures search the murky bogs for their next bloody sacrifice and demons curse the innocent with Voodoo hexes. Guests who are brave enough to venture through the Skeleton Key room may fall prey to a defiled ritual.
“The Hanging”: A live stage show in Calico Square irreverently looks back at the year’s pop culture with killer comedy. Notorious for its special effects, pyrotechnics, and high-flying stunts, “The Hanging” is a no-holds-barred assault on pop culture’s most infamous moments of the past year. A must-see parody!
From what we witnessed via scare-actors and video teases alike, production levels seem to have increased from previous years (no small victory, assuredly, as Knott’s has always been fairly top-notch), the park’s “Skeleton Key” room experiences have grown, and given our entrance onto the grounds, in which we passed the bumper car attraction which was joyously spinning “Good Times” from The Lost Boys’ soundtrack, they’ve still apparently got their grisly thumbs on our pulse. As before, it seems lovingly nostalgic and yet somehow refreshingly new, so hit it.
We will on September 24 when the park opens, and we’ll bring you a full review then.
Need tickets? visit Knott’s Scary Farm online!
Categorized:News
