181113 Knott's Berry Farm Calico River Rapids Sign ©Michael Goumas
©Michael Goumas

Have a favorite Cedar Fair amusement park? We have a hard time picking just one, two, or three because they each offer their own unique entertainment aspects, and the reason we use our Platinum pass to travel between them often.

When we first visited Knott’s Berry Farm in late 2014, we were simply blown away. The park put Cedar Fair on a whole other playing field from immersive design, animatronic masterpieces used on rides, great entertainment, and of course, the boysenberry!

The Knott’s Berry Farm Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride have become industry standards that kick-started the theme park business into hyper-drive. The log ride in particular is what inspired Disneyland down the street to create Splash Mountain.

So when the Bigfoot Rapids ride closed earlier this fall, speculation began to swirl on the latest developments, especially given Knott’s Berry Farm did not announce any new improvements in August, which is often the case.

Then in late October, Knott’s released a teaser poster to get the masses churning.

Now with Knott’s Scary Farm wrapped up and Knott’s Merry Farm about to kick off, the park has announced something grand, and we could not be more excited for this new addition!

2019 Knott’s Berry Farm Calico River Rapids

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Buena Park, California – A new expedition in an uncharted territory awaits eager explorers with the upcoming debut of Calico River Rapids, opening at Knott’s Berry Farm in summer 2019. Knott’s popular Bigfoot Rapids white water raft ride will undergo a major renovation with the addition of new features to the attraction including new animatronics, themed show scenes, a new story overlay and plenty of dynamic water effects. The arrival of Calico River Rapids is one of the many exciting experiences that Knott’s guests can enjoy in 2019.

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Calico River Rapids will take voyagers on a search for new land through the outskirts of Calico, the richly themed area in Knott’s esteemed Ghost Town. Guests will journey through the authentic setting with the help of legendary frontiersmen who have plotted the path for settlers to explore. Rafters will encounter a variety of wild surprises along the way such as roaring rapids, indigenous wildlife, and peculiar homesteaders. The circular raft ride, which seats six passengers, will traverse through unexpected twists and turns, rushing waters and rapid currents as it navigates the unexplored river path.

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The attraction will come to life with new animatronics and special effects designed and manufactured by Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of animatronics for theme parks.

The park’s popular Seasons of Fun events will kick off with the return of the newly-expanded Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, a unique event dedicated to the beloved PEANUTS characters. Guests are invited to step inside the pages of a Charles M. Schulz comic strip as the characters take over the entire park, weekends from January 26 – March 10, 2019 and on President’s Day, Monday, February 18.

180127 Knott's Berry Farm Peanuts Celebration Cupcakes ©Jeff Lee

In spring, the much-anticipated Knott’s Boysenberry Festival returns with countless one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired food and drink offerings created by the Knott’s culinary team. Each year the menu ranges from deliciously sweet desserts to zesty savory dishes, plus tasty beverages bursting with tangy boysenberry flavors. Unique entertainment and an array of artisan crafters round out the festival. Due to the festival’s increasing popularity, it will be expanding to a full month of deliciousness from March 29 – April 28, 2019.

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In summer 2019, the fan favorite Old West adventure will continue with the return of Ghost Town Alive!, as a new storyline set in the town of Calico is unraveled for guests to discover starting May 25 – August 18 and weekends from August 24 through Labor Day, September 2. During Ghost Town Alive! guests may return to the streets of Calico and experience an authentic western adventure by becoming a star in the day’s evolving storyline, as they unlock adventures through interactions with the townsfolk or by joining in on the town’s activities. And as night falls, even more summer fun will continue throughout the park with new entertainment offerings.

170611 Knott's Ghost Town Alive Bank Robbed Newspaper ©Jeff Lee

For fall, the spooktacular family-friendly daytime Halloween event, Knott’s Spooky Farm, will invite families with little ghouls ages 3-11 to celebrate the spooky season exclusively on weekends starting September 28 – October 27, 2019, and Halloween day. Knott’s Spooky Farm will offer little ones delightfully wicked Halloween themed activities, live entertainment and much more.

As winter rolls in, the feeling of Christmas will truly be discovered at Knott’s Merry Farm, where joy will be in season from November 22, 2019 – January 5, 2020. Knott’s Merry Farm will host holiday cheer for park goers as they create new holiday memories set to the backdrop of a true classic Christmas.

A 2019 Season Pass is the best way to experience the adventures of Calico River Rapids along with an entire year of seasonal fun. With a 2019 Season Pass, guests can enjoy all of Knott’s Seasons of Fun events next year, plus one free admission in 2018. A Regular Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2019 to Knott’s Berry Farm with no blackout dates, and a Gold Season Pass includes unlimited admission in 2019 to both Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Soak City Waterpark with no blackout dates. Regular passes are now available at the lowest price of the year at $95 or eight easy payments of $10.00 after an initial payment, and Gold Passes are $115 or eight payments of just $12.00 after an initial payment. These offers end January 6, 2019. Applicable taxes and fees apply. Payment plans are only available at knotts.com.

For more information about Calico River Rapids, Knott’s Berry Farm and Knott’s Season Passes, please visit knotts.com.

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