Which park started the halloween gimic?

What was the first park to stay open for Halloween & deck out the park with that theme?

I believe it was Knott's Scary Farm.

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- John
I got a B&M T-shirt!

Give Mr. Darling a prize, it was indeed Knotts, and Scary Farm celebrates its 30th year this year.

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Sig under construction

Isn't Holiday World the only park with a full time Halloween theme.

Prize? Sweet! I love suprise contests!

What'd I win?

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- John
I got a B&M T-shirt!

Heatseeker - yes, but Holiday World's Halloween section opened in 1984, 12 years after Knott's debuted Scary Farm.

Moosh - wow, that HW media kit really comes in handy ;-)

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Sig under construction

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 10/10/2002. ***

It may not be the first for all parks but I believe SFGAm was the first SF park to hold FrightFest. They started it 12 years ago.

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity. :)

Astroworld started their Fright Nights in 1986, which would beat Great America by a couple years.

He said fright fest not fright nights.

Exactly. When did SF aquire Astroworld? I still believe the first "Six Flags" branded park to hold FrightFest was SFGAm.

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity. :)

Astroworld was bought by Six Flags in 1975, 9 years before Great America was.

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How the hell do you go from the world's first Halloween theme park event of Knott's Scary Farm to a Six Flags' Fright Fest debate between Great America and AstroWorld?!

Great America was bought in 1984? Sounds a bit off to me. Anyway how does Knott's Scary Farm compare to the rest of the halloween "gimics"? Is it the best because its the original?

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R.I.P. Shockwave-My first coaster. Some day I'll ride you again...SFGAm-1988-2002

Well if thats the case, than I take back what I said.

Krax. Calm down. You obviously had nothing productive to say in this topic.

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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity. :)

You shouldn't sfgam was the first to call it fright fest so technically you were right in what you said.

Oh wow, Fright Nights and FirghtFest are *gasp* the same thing.

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Don't call Knotts Scary Farm a gimmick. Its not.

Right from Dictionary.com's mouf:

An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to promote a project: an advertising gimmick.

Hmm, sounds spot on to me. Its doesn't neccesarily have a negative connotation.

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If the shoe fits, find another one.

*** This post was edited by ravenguy98 on 10/11/2002. ***

It's not an advertising gimmick... it's the product itself!

These events over the years have grown by reputation. Knott's is supposed to be "it" in SoCal. CP's Halloweekends get bigger and bigger every year, while Kennywood's event sounds like it was just short of a bust, but wait until next year. These are good events that evolve and grow over time.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, when it's all in your mind. You gotta let go." - Ghetto, Supreme Beings of Leisure

I think whether or not it's a gimmick depends on how it's presented. Aren't gimmicks usually short-term or one-shot ploys to get people to notice your product? SFStL started out with a haunted house in the parking lot and no rides open. That would definately fall under "cheap gimmick". These days FrightFest has become a standard operation that you expect to occur every year. Sounds like Knotts just beat evryone to the punch.

Did Disneyland do any kind of Halloween events during it's early years?

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Jeff-Jeff
Wood - Raven
Steel - Millennium Force
Generic, isn't it?