Credit: Knott's Berry Farm
Southern California has officially entered a state of emergency, and Knott’s Berry Farm is officially shutting down because of it.
Knott’s Berry Farm has been around since the 1920’s and despite being the oldest theme park in America, even older than Disneyland, there are things that can end up shutting the gates of the theme park. As we recently shared, Southern California has entered a state of emergency, carried out by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Shortly after the statement went out, Knott’s Berry Farm shared that they would be closing today, Monday, February 5, 2024.
The theme park wrote: “Due to inclement weather, Knott’s Berry Farm and the California Marketplace will be closed today, Monday, February 5. Tickets purchased for today will be valid until February 25, 2024.” That means no Peanuts Celebration, no Ghost Town, and sadly, no Mrs. Knott’s fried chicken.
Due to inclement weather, Knott's Berry Farm and the California Marketplace will be closed today, Monday, February 5. Tickets purchased for today will be valid until February 25, 2024. pic.twitter.com/r4yS2n249N
— Knott's Berry Farm (@knotts) February 5, 2024
As for the weather status in the area, things are not looking good. Fox reported, “A dire situation is unfolding in California as a deadly atmospheric river storm continues to slam the state with torrential rain, destructive wind gusts and catastrophic flash flooding.
Southern California, including downtown Los Angeles, is in the bull’s-eye where forecasters believe the risk of flooding is highest. NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has placed about 14 million people in the area under a rare “high risk” of flash flooding as the storm has already dumped several inches of rain, with much more to come.
The “high risk” is the highest rung on NOAA’s flash flood threat scale and is only issued under the most dire of flooding forecasts. “Life-threatening flash and urban flash flooding possible in the high-risk area,” the WPC said.”
At the moment, Disneyland Resort is remaining open. However, Six Flags Magic Mountain is not.
Six Flags shared their park update yesterday, confirming that they would be closed today. Luckily, tickets are valid through the end of the year, which is different from Knott’s policy of just one month.
🌧️ Visit https://t.co/AhG51cHMRa for additional park hours and information. pic.twitter.com/Fefq0UlFAQ
— Six Flags Magic Mountain (@SFMagicMountain) February 4, 2024
Knott’s Berry Farm does typically shut down during stormy weather, likely due to the fact that a lot of guests will forgo their visit for a day with better weather. That being said, with its location being only 1o minutes from Disneyland, many guests are visiting on vacation, and will not have the option to visit the park on a different day.
When taking a look at the Knott’s Berry Farm website, we can see that same statement that appears on X, noting that guests have until February 25th, 20 days, to use their tickets. Inside the Magic recently spoke to the guest services team who confirmed that this is their policy, and refunds are not being given out at this time due to weather closures at the park as they are extending ticket dates.
This may not be an issue for some, but others who are planning on visiting the park may not be able to rearrange their dates due to the limited time restraint that comes along with a vacation.
At the moment, Knott’s has only confirmed that it will be closed today, but looking at the weather forecast for the week, Tuesday, February 6 and 7 are also looking to have rainfall. The park typically announces its closures in the early mornings, so if you are planning on visiting the parks this week, be sure to keep a look-out on their site as well as X for any updates.
In regard to the state of emergency, Newsom stated, “California: this is a serious storm with dangerous and potentially life-threatening impacts. Please pay attention to any emergency orders or alerts from local officials. California is ready with a record number of emergency assets on the ground to respond to the impacts of this storm.”
Knott’s Berry Farm has recently made headlines after Smuckers cut all sales of Knott’s jam. Lucky for fans of the jam, Knott’s Berry Farm is still selling their official Boysenberry jam and spreads, as well as a plethora of other fruit spreads.
Do you plan on attending Knott’s Berry Farm this year?
