Knott’s Scary Farm is the granddaddy of the Halloween Event. Without it, all you little haunt freaks wouldn’t have things like Halloween Horror Nights or the countless haunted attractions that pop up every year. The mark, (and bloodstains) it’s left on the industry is immeasurable, but this year at Midsummer Scream, Southern California’s premiere haunt and horror convention, they will try and give the old girl a little bit of the love she deserves.
This year, Midsummer Scream will close out the weekend with a 90 minute presentation from Knott’s Scary Farm, and will include a “rotating panel” with tons of guests from Knott’s past, present…and maybe future? It’s going to be one gnarly panel that huge haunt fans will not want to miss. It’s going to be moderated by Ted Dougherty who literally wrote the book on Knott’s history.
Here’s the line up:
- John Waite: Responsible for decorating/designing Haunt scenes and gags for the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Calico Mine Ride under Bud Hurbut in the early 1970s, John helped set the bar for Knott’s Scary Farm attractions for years to come.
- Diana Kirchen Kelly: The first Green Witch character to roam the streets of Ghost Town beginning in 1973. Diana is among the small handful of very first scare zone monsters in theme park history.
- Julie Owens: A performer, dancer, and choreographer for over four decades at Knott’s Berry Farm, Julie ultimately became the Entertainment Director of Live Entertainment for the park, making countless contributions to Knott’s Scary Farm throughout her career.
- Vickie Yahh: The actress who portrayed one of the most iconic characters in Knott’s Scary Farm original show history, the legendary witch from the early Hanging productions.
- Brian McGee: One of the first members of the original “Haunt Crew” for Knott’s Scary Farm, Brian created attractions such as Knott’s Scary Tales, Metro Madness, Best Little Horror House, and more.
- Del Langdale: The former head of Knott’s Berry Farm Park Décor in the 1970s and 1980s, many of the looks and designs synonymous with Knott’s Scary Farm midways are concepts that were first introduced by Del.
- Todd Stubbler: Scaring guests for many years as a street monster in Ghost Town, Todd was responsible for fine-tuning and innovating the scare tactic known as “sliding”.
- Larry McCauley: The first individual to be hired as an official “maze designer” for Knott’s Scary Farm, Larry designed mazes such as Revenge of the Dead, and Uncle Ernie’s Madhouse.
- Todd Faux: Working as the Entertainment Design Manager at Knott’s Berry Farm for 18 years, Todd designed attractions such as Quarantine, 13 Axe Murder Manor, and the Haunt 25th Anniversary Maze.
- Ken Parks: In addition to being the former writer and actor for The Hanging throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ken performed as Dr. Cleaver in Dr. Cleaver’s Psycho Circus, and is now the Vice President of Entertainment at Knott’s Berry Farm.
- Ed Alonzo: A world-renowned magician, Ed Alonzo entertained and mesmerized Knott’s Scary Farm crowds over a dozen seasons, including headlining the Charles M. Schultz Theatre several times with shows such as Ghouls Gone Wild with Ed Alonzo, and Ed Alonzo’s Howl-O-Ween House Party.
- Jon Cooke: As a former maze and scare zone talent, Jon has become one of the most innovative maze designers in Knott’s Scary Farm’s history, with attractions such as Infected, Paranormal, Inc., and Shadow Lands.
It’s going to be a huge year for the oldest and meanest haunted theme park attraction. On top of all that, there will be tons of other great panels, such as the huge Tower of Terror tribute panel, some Halloween Horror Nights stuff and much, much more.
Tickets are now on sale for Midsummer Scream, and the big event will take place on July 29th. The Knott’s Scary Farm panel will happen on July 30th at 4:30p.m. The good folks at Midsummer Scream will also host a huge reception after the panel, so that fans can actually meet the makers of Knott’s Scary Farm!
Stay tuned for more from Midsummer, and be sure to get social with us on Facebook and follow along with us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest updates!
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