First off on a slight side note: Thank you so much to all of you who came up to us at the recent Knott’s Scary Farm announcement event and said hi. We love hearing from you about how we are doing and what we can do to make the site better.
I think like most kids that grew up in Southern California in the 80’s Halloween really meant two things: Oingo Boingo, and Knott’s Halloween Haunt. Now I have waited to talk about both of these treasured parts of my personal horror history because they are both so close to my heart and with the season now upon us it seemed like the perfect time to (grave) dig up those precious memories. This week Haunt!
I think it’s as true today as it was back then, Knott’s Halloween Haunt (Scary Farm as they prefer now) is a rite of passage. In my case (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) it started with some gentle prodding (vicious daring) from teens that had already attended, followed by a lot of negotiation with my parents to be able to attend, and the amazing (and since unmatched) jitters of standing in front of those gates with that not so subtle combination of both fear and excitement at what the night would hold. Can you remember being that young? venturing out on your own (well with your friends, but anyway), and having that understanding that comes along far too seldom in a life, that no matter what you experienced beyond the turnstiles, you were going to come out (if you managed to survive) a different person? It’s no wonder so many psyche themselves out before they even get a whiff of the fog.
My time came in 1984. I was a Sophomore in high school, and I went to a private school where things horror were definitely not condoned by the establishment, but among the student body, there were large groups getting together to go, and sure enough on that fateful Friday night, there I stood with a few brave ( definitely much fewer than had said they would go) friends, straining to see over the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of what might be inside.
As the gates opened and we were literally pushed into Ghost Town by the crowds several lessons were quickly learned:
- Running, though it might be your first reaction to a scare, is never a good idea.
- It isn’t possible to look everywhere all at once, and trying to do so is actually like a monster magnet
- and most importantly, there is a laugh after the scare that is almost euphoric, it’s a strange celebration of life and survival and it is best shared with friends
It was crowded, I’m not sure what was more terrifying, the monsters or the way we were kind of pushed around through most of the night, but it was magical. I remember vividly trying to see the Hanging (no the witch wasn’t green back then), but not being able to see much from where we were. I remember so many trips through the darkness and shadows and some really freaky Pig Girls that tried to chase us around. And there was Elvira, who I have always had a huge crush on, like a black widow cherry on top of the whole haunted sundae.
And when I walked out (reasonably early to meet with my parents transportation requirements), I was transformed. I had survived, and more to the point, I couldn’t wait until the next year to go again.
I have been blessed in life to have a wife and partner who loves the annual fog as much as I do, and I have also been blessed to be with my two boys when they went through the “change”, ventured through their first mazes and scare zones and transformed the “teenage” rite of passage into a family one. But the laughs after the scare are just as much fun, and perhaps a little more treasured by my wife and I. There isn’t a year that goes by that I don’t remember that first “Haunt”, there isn’t a visit to Knott’s out side of the Halloween season that I don’t miss the fog and the lights. It was definitely more than just a gateway scare, however, it was actually the start of the lifestyle that has led me to some of the best friends I have ever had and ultimately to this very site that you are visiting right now.
Image courtesy www.ultimatehaunt.com
So a huge thank you to Knott’s and all it’s creative folks past and present. It’s a huge thing you created that goes far beyond your annual park transformation, it’s created a community with it’s own creepy DNA and it’s amazing to be a part of it.
Knott’s Scary Farm VIP Night, Sat. Sept. 24th
Friendly reminder to everyone. The annual HorrorBuzz.com VIP night is almost upon us at Knott’s and our tickets are selling fast. Others imitate, Norm was the originator, and I promise you won’t want to miss this year as he has so much up his sleeve to make this year even better. Tickets are available here.
- Backstage Tour of two mazes
- Meet and greet with Haunt Designers
- Fabulous Fall Festival Entertainment
- All-you-can-eat Boo-Fet
- Early Admission into Knott’s Scary Farm
- Front of the line access to mazes and Hell Boxes with Fright Lane
- Early entry to Elvira’s Dance Macabre
- Special surprises from our friends at MUSE
- 10% off rooms at the Knott’s Hotel PromoCode: HorrorBuzz
- 15% off room/breakfast reservations at the Knott’s Hotel PromoCode: HorrorBuzz
(Call Room Reservations at 866-752-2444 8am-8pm)
$179.00 $152.99
If you have attended the event before or visited our booth at Midsummer Scream
or ScareLA please email [email protected] for a special limited time discount code
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My first time was also in 1984, with a small group of friends from that same private school. I remember all of it so vividly – the nervousness, the excitement, the FOG, the mazes, and that euphoric laughter that came just on the tail of a jump-and-scream kind of scare. I cannot wait to go again this year.
Great post.