Knott’s Berry Farm isn’t all fog alley and boardwalk clowns during the Halloween season. This year Knott’s presents their family friendly event, “Knott’s Spooky Farm,” as they celebrate 50 years of the Great Pumpkin. My kids are always excited to head down to the farm to see what is new, what the folks at Knott’s have brought back and of course, to see Snoopy.

We were handed a flier as soon as we walked in and both kids were handed a bag, to which my son exclaimed, “YES! Trick or treating again!” We headed into ghost town and were immediately greeted by a smiling ghost who was more than happy to take a picture with the kids. My daughter refused to get out of the stroller (she’s almost 3 and is really wary of strange looking people) but the actor was pleasant and offered to pose as she sat in the stroller. There were several ghosts and ghouls wandering around ghost town giving it a little Haunt feel without the screams. The trick or treating stations were fun. Each of them had a miniature door complete with doorbell that as you rang them, had a different spooky effect. Knocking, a little scream, a werewolf howl; each of them not meant to terrify children but definitely gave them a little trick with their treat.

And speaking of treats-the candy was good candy. Airheads, Twizzlers, Skittles, Tootsie Pops and more filled the kid’s bags. No chocolate was handed out but it’s so hot out that any chocolate would have melted anyway, surely resulting in messy faces and ruined costumes.

Yes, costumes! Children are encouraged to dress up as they enjoy Knott’s. Every Saturday and Sunday, Camp Snoopy hosts a costume contest. After the kids have shown off their Halloween spirit, the Peanuts characters and kids show off their dance moves in a fun dance party.

We took a trip through the family friendly “Spooky Hollow Maze” in Camp Snoopy, a hay bale maze filled with pumpkins, gourds, jack-o-lanterns and the headless horsemen.

Once out of the maze, we then headed over to the Camp Snoopy Theater for a hand clapping, finger snapping show with Lucy, Charlie Brown and their friend/host J.T. Don’t miss this cute storyline that nods to the days of radio shows and classic ghost stories. Granted, my kids have no idea what an old timey radio is but they didn’t care. They loved the familiar tunes remixed as only Knott’s Spooky Farm can do. It culminates with the big dog himself, Snoopy, dancing along with his castmates to the spooky farm version of “Time Warp.” It’s just a jump to the left…

We had two very clear favorites of the day:
Linus’ Great Pumpkin Patch, located in the craft barn of Ghost Town, had plenty of fun crafts for kids. Coloring, a giant pumpkin bean bag toss, decorating small pumpkins (an extra fee of $4.63 plus tax) and a screen set up showing the Great Pumpkin. I found it nice for the kids to take a break and have a seat on the straw bales to watch the movie. The employees were energetic and kept the kids of varying ages involved in the Halloween fun.

And then there was Fiesta Village celebrating Dia De Los Muertos. It’s easy to miss, especially if you aren’t looking for it because it’s tucked back in a corner. An interactive area where children and adults have the opportunity to learn about the cultural meaning behind this holiday. Although the marionettes were not working, both kids had a blast placing magnetic marigolds on ofrendas.

They danced to the festive music and I liked the small aisle of vendors selling their wares. Skull sugar cookies were for sale with a table to decorate your treat as you wish. If you like sugar skulls and DDLM, then you can find hand crafted aprons, jewelry, hairbows, clothing as well as decorations for both Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos for sale in the small marketplace. My son wanted his face painted so I shelled out the money (various designs starting at $12) and when the artist was finished, he was beside himself. He proceeded to walk through Knott’s like a haunt monster, crouching down and trying to scare people. He even high fived a few kids who weren’t fans of the skull makeup. I wouldn’t expect any less from a haunt baby.

We had a great time this year. Even though it was hot, the kids enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed watching them get into the Halloween spirit. I loved how the event has spread throughout the park but I wish that signage was a little more prominent. It was just my two kids and I today, so I feel confident that a trip to Knott’s Spooky Farm does not need to be a huge undertaking.  We had fun, trick or treated, took lots of pictures and even rode a few rides in Camp Snoopy all in under 4 and a 1/2 hours. But the most important part was both kids got their number one wish, “to see Snoopy in his Halloween Costume.”

Check out Knott’s Spooky Farm every weekend in October including October 31st.