Christmas at Knotts Berry Farm, pt. 2...
...and Knott's Berry Farm's New Year's Eve party info!
Knotts Berry Farm's Christmas celebration runs from Thanksgiving Day, 2011 until New Year's Day 2012! And in addition, Knott's Berry Farm will ring in 2012 with a giant New Year's Eve Party on December 31st!THIS YEAR'S EVENT WILL NOT BE CALLED "PRAISE CELEBRATION." For a number of years, the Knott's Berry Farm party on New Year's Eve was called the "Praise Celebration" and although the park was open to anyone who wanted to attend the bash, it was definitely a Christian event. In recent years, the party has become less oriented to a specific religion. However, the former Praise Celebration is still missed by those who enjoy Christian music and entertainment.
This change seems to signal that Knott's wants to draw a more diverse crowd to the park's annual New Year's Eve event. Last year's party seemed to be steered away from Christian entertainment...and so it seems that Knott's is charting a new course for future New Year's parties. Nevertheless, the annual party continues to be an all-ages family event. For 2011, both a salsa dance party and a country line-dance will be held...and a family-friendly comedian will be entertaining, as well.
You can enjoy Knott's New Year's Eve bash without ever participating in the entertainment at all, if you wish. Most of the park's major rides will be open, as well as many stores and most restaurants and snack bars. You can scream the night away on your favorite roller coasters...and only take a quick break to ring in the New Year by watching the fireworks display, if you wish. (Be sure to bring a jacket with you...because by midnight it will get CHILLY!)
What can you do at the Knott's New Year's Eve Party?
1.) Most of the Knott's Berry Farm rides and attractions will be running. You can spend the evening enjoying them just as if it were a normal night at the park, if you don't like any of this year's entertainment...but most people choose to enjoy one or more of the park's special New Year's Eve activities.
2.) Fireworks will ring in New Year 2012. The show will be centered in the Old West section of the park...which will surely be jammed shoulder to shoulder.
3.) Special Entertainment: Live entertainment is always a special highlight at Knott's New Years Eve parties. If you're interested in the learning to Salsa dance, the party will be your chance to learn! The dance will have an instructor present; head to the Fiesta Village section of Knott's Park to join the fun.
If you prefer country line dancing, you'll want to check out the Wilderness Dance Hall. Or, if you're a REAL dancing fanatic, you can hop back and forth between the two dances!
Dick Hardwick will be performing family-friendly comedy at several shows in the Boardwalk Ballroom. Plus there will be a DJ on the Calico stage and a steel drum band, as well. Be sure to check the entertainment schedule when you first arrive so that you won't miss out on any shows that you'd like to see.
GOOD NEWS: The Knott's New Year's Eve party will NOT be a "specially ticketed" event this year! In the past, New Year's Eve guests at Knott's had to buy a separate party ticket...even Knott's Annual Pass holders.
For New Year's Eve 2011, no separate "special event" ticket is needed, and all daytime guests at Knott's may stay over to enjoy the evening's events.
What hours will the Knott's Berry Farm New Year's Eve party be held? Knott's Berry Farm will open at 10 am on December 31, 2011. Knott's Berry Farm's normal rides and attractions will be operating. Then, the special Knott's New Year's Eve entertainment will begin in the evening, and end at 1 am on the morning of January 1, 2012.
"Christmas at Knotts Berry Farm" Pictures
The Christmas decorations in the Ghost Town section of Knotts Berry Farm are plentiful and lovely. In keeping with the atmosphere of this themed area---which features REAL antique buildings brought in from Old West ghost towns---an "old fashioned Christmas" is the theme of the decorating style.
Since Ghost Town is also the "home" of the Knotts Berry Farm Christmas Crafts Village (a large annual arts and crafts fair) you'll find the Ghost Town area buzzing with activity. Tables and stalls are added to every available space, and you may purchase hand-crafted items of all sorts and descriptions. You'll find Christmas decorations for your home; personalized items which you'll order specially made for the recipient of your gift; toys, clothing and accessories; home decor items; wood craft; and just about anything else you can think of which may be hand-crafted. And, as a special treat, you'll often get to see the crafts people at work making new items!
Most of Ghost Town's vintage buildings sport Christmas wreaths, garlands, and other Christmas decorations. This section of the park looks beautiful and cozy.
Another way that the "old fashioned Christmas" atmosphere is maintained is by strolling Christmas carolers dressed in costumes from the 1800's.
This "a capella" group makes their rounds through Knott's Berry Farm's Ghost Town singing popular holiday carols...and gathering a small crowd everywhere they stop. You'll enjoy the fine musicianship of this quartet...who manage to stay perfectly on pitch, despite the lack of instruments to guide them.
Naturally, a number of guests enjoy taking photos with the costumed carolers after they sing---a request that the carolers are most pleased to oblige.
Children love visiting Knott's Berry Farm's Santa Claus, whom you'll find tucked away in his cute, decorated Santa Set inside the Santa's Headquarters building within Ghost Town.
Adults will have fun visiting Santa's Headquarters, as well, though, because it's a wonderland of Christmas decorations (which you may buy to take home) and gifts. You'll find a cute selection of interesting seasonal items here that make for some great browsing...including the popular Santa Claus Snoopy stuffed animal, and other Peanuts Character plush toys. (Of course, the Peanuts store in Knott's Berry Farm's "Camp Snoopy" area AND the Snoopy Store just outside the Knotts main entrance are other great places to find the Snoopy Santa stuffed animal and many other Peanuts-character themed Christmas decorations.)
One of the Christmas delights at Knotts Berry Farm is seeing a Christmas play at Ghost Town's Bird Cage Theater.
One of the 2 plays being presented is Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol, a traditional favorite.
You've undoubtedly seen at least several versions of "A Christmas Carol," since it's been made into movies several times, and into television specials, as well. No matter how many other versions you've seen, the Knotts version of "A Christmas Carol" won't disappoint you!
Working with few props (and in a theater that seems like it hasn't been updated since its original Wild West days,) these master actors re-create the familiar story of "A Christmas Carol" that seems so real you'll never miss the missing pieces of furniture and other props upon which the movies and TV specials depend.
Above, you see a picture of Ebeneezer Scrooge and Bob Crachit working hard in the counting house on Christmas Eve. Scrooge's nephew has come to wish his uncle a "Merry Christmas," and invite the old man to Christmas dinner. The now-famous phrase "Bah, humbug!" was Scrooge's reply to his warmly-given invitation.
In the photo to your right, you see that green stage lighting has been used to create an aura of mystery on-stage. This is the play's scene in which the ghost of Jacob Marley comes to warn Mr. Scrooge of the dangers of maintaining his hard and callous spirit...and announces the upcoming visit of the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future.
And, to your left, you see that, just as in the book and on television, Ebeneezer Scrooge has a changed heart by the end of the show...bringing happiness to those who know him.
The other play staged during the Knotts Berry Farm Christmas festivities is O. Henry's Gift of the Magi. You may have read the story or seen another version of this play in which a man and a woman each secretly sacrifice the possessions dearest to them in order to buy a Christmas present for the other.
Amidst enjoying the shopping and attractions at Knotts, it's a wonderful thing to be able to "take a break" by watching either of these 2 finely-acted presentations...and have your heart touched with the spirit of the season.
To see still MORE pictures of Knott's holiday fun, be sure to see the Knott's Berry Farm Christmas Events, part 1 page of this website.
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