Christmas show closes early amid ‘challenges’
‘Home for the Holidays’ was one of the marquee shows at Knott’s Merry Farm set to run through Jan. 2
Knott’s Berry Farm has been forced to close a popular Christmas show in the middle of its holiday run after the old-fashioned musical revue that brought a winter wonderland postcard to life with a soundtrack of popular seasonal tunes ran into insurmountable troubles.
“Home for the Holidays” will close ahead of schedule amid a series of challenges, Knott’s announced via social media.
“Due to staffing and technical challenges, Knott’s has made the difficult decision to close Knott’s Merry Farm’s ‘Home for the Holidays,’” Knott’s wrote on Twitter.
“Home for the Holidays” was one of the marquee shows during the Knott’s Merry Farm event that kicked off Nov. 19 and was to run through Jan. 2 at the Buena Park theme park with a lineup of Christmas shows, live music, atmosphere talent and seasonal experiences.
The Sleigh Bells a cappella musical group that had been performing nearby on the smaller Calico Park Stage will replace “Home for the Holidays” and move to the larger Calico Mine Stage through Jan. 2.
A review by this news organization of “Home for the Holidays,” which debuted in 2019, described the theatrical musical as a blend of an “Andy Williams Christmas Special,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade all rolled up into one holiday spectacular.
The abrupt closure comes as Knott’s announced its schedule of seasonal events for 2022. Here’s the lineup:
• Knott’s Peanuts Celebration: Jan. 22-March 6
• Knott’s Boysenberry Festival: March 19-April 24
• Ghost Town Alive and Knott’s Summer Nights: May 20-Sept. 5
• Knott’s Scary Farm: Sept. 22-Oct. 31
• Knott’s Spooky Farm: Oct. 1-30
• Knott’s Merry Farm: Nov. 18-Jan. 1, 2023
All of the seasonal events except Knott’s Scary Farm are included with admission to Knott’s.