Month: March 2018

The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival has officially opened!

On By TimothyIn Knott's Berry FarmLeave a comment

The park’s annual food-inspired event celebrates Knott’s Berry Farm’s historic roots by highlighting the little berry that started it all, the boysenberry. This year’s festival features over 75 new and returning boysenberry-inspired creations crafted by Knott’s very own culinary team. In addition to tasty treats the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of daily entertainment, live music and fun activities for everyone in the family to enjoy. The festival offers guests the opportunity to indulge in a delicious variety of new and returning boysenberry infused treats which can only be found at the park exclusively during this limited time event.

New Food Items For 2018:

– The boysenberry quesadilla made with a boysenberry-infused flour tortilla, served with boysenberry salsa, boysenberry sour cream with cotija and mozzarella cheese

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– Boysenberry s pierogies served with sautéed onions, Applewood bacon and boysenberry whipped cream

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– Slow cooked boysenberry short ribs, the juicy meat is smothered in a boysenberry hoisin sauce served over butter basmati rice and completed with chopped green onions

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– The all-new boysenberry boba tea which consists of boysenberry milk tea and chewy berry-soaked tapioca balls served over ice

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– The festival also offers a variety of sharable snacks for the family including a new vegetarian/vegan option, boysenberry hummus served with pita bread and prepared with garden-fresh boysenberries

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– The boysenberry elote, lightly grilled corn is smothered in fresh boysenberry butter, mayo and perfectly topped off with cotija cheese

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– A grilled boysenberry sausage on a baked roll topped with boysenberry ketchup, mustard and relish

– Scrumptious bite-sized boysenberry coconut macaroons, dipped in a decadent chocolate ganache, which are great to enjoy while strolling through the park

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Tasting Cards

A great option to indulge in a variety of food items during the festival is by purchasing a tasting card priced at $30 which offers tastings of eight select food items. Guests can enjoy all eight items on the card or mix-and-match up to eight tastings. Returning and other signature boysenberry items will be available for purchase a la carte. Tasting cards are available at Knotts.com or in the theme park.

 

THEME PARK DESIGNERS LET LOOSE AND PRODUCE NATION’S FIRST R-RATED ESCAPE ROOM: MURDER CO

On By TimothyIn Halloween, Haunted AttractionsLeave a comment

BLACK MARKET ESCAPE ROOMS, a new immersive-based attraction company, announces the opening of MURDER CO, a permanent escape experience aimed at turning the attraction industry on its head. Moonlighting from their day gigs, a handful of theme park professionals have thrown the proverbial gloves off by thrusting guests into an adventure far too severe for the family-friendly confines of an amusement park.

MURDER CO is more than simply solving puzzles, combinations or finding keys to break out of a locked room. The high-level adventure incorporates unique entertainment elements matched with intense scenes of harsh violence, pitfalls and physicality. Groups of up to eight members find themselves trapped in a gore and chaos-filled race for survival.

MURDER CO: A high-priced, high-society underground black market sports ring enabling voyeuristic individuals to privately witness a live murder take place. Beyond the scant rumors found on the Black Web, not much is known about the enigmatic company. It is only after guests sign-up that the specific details of the ominous Murder Co will be revealed. If you’re still brave enough to make the plunge after signing a waiver, dangerous mystery awaits.

The experience was created by theme park designer, Jon Cooke, who was looking to push the parameters set by the day-to-day requirements in his industry. In response to founding his new company, Black Market Escape Rooms, Cooke says, “I saw so much potential story and show elements in escape rooms. I wanted to do something more so we aimed to create this unforgettable encounter.”

Regarding Murder Co’s intensity is attraction co-writer and director Ted Dougherty, who confesses, “We had to go to some extremely dark places that definitely left a few emotional marks.” Although the attraction may not fall into the category of an “extreme haunt,” it does contain content best reserved for those not easily offended or disgusted.

 

Murder Co includes state-of-the-art special effects typically seen inside major theme park attractions. Some of the other professionals Cooke has recruited include artists, technicians and designers who have worked with the Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Cedar Fair and the National Football League. Companies on board and supplying a stockpile of surprises are Gantom Lighting and Controls, Immortal Masks and Ghost Ride Productions.

Expect serious thrills as Cooke is no stranger to terrifying people based on his innovative haunted attraction designs for Knott’s Scary Farm. When conceiving Murder Co, he admits, “It’s what I have always wanted to see and do in an immersive attraction.” A living nightmare is one step away for those bold enough to cross into MurderCo.

TICKETS FOR MURDER CO ARE NOW ON SALE FOR LIMITED DATES AND TIMES. For more information on Murder Co, including tickets, operating hours and directions, visit http://www.blackmarketescaperooms.com or join us at FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM @BlackMarketEscapeRooms

BLACK MARKET ESCAPE ROOMS was founded in 2017 and specializes in original alternatives to the standard escape room and haunted attraction format.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: info@blackmarketescaperooms.com

ABOUT A FEW OF THE MURDER CO ARTISTS:

JON COOKE has designed, art directed and produced some of the most successful haunted attractions for the world famous Knott’s Scary Farm, including “Infected: Special Ops,” “Paranormal, Inc,” “Shadowlands” and “Dark Ride.” As vocalist for the deathcore metal band, Winds of Plague, Cooke has released numerous albums and toured extensively throughout the globe. Taking the two worlds of themed entertainment and live performance, Cooke has melded his experience into creating visionary ways to horrify the masses. http://www.plagueproductions.com

IMMORTAL MASKS was established in 2010 and owned by Andrew and Michelle Freeman and George Frangadakis. In addition to winning Season 12 of the Syfy reality television series, Face Off, Andrew has worked professionally as a Hollywood special effects artist. Between Andrew’s expertise and George’s experience as an effects supervisor, Immortal Masks is comprised of some of the best working artists in the film, theme park and haunted attraction industries. http://www.immortalmasks.com

TED DOUGHERTY is a writer, producer and director having worked with Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Cedar Fair and Hollow Studios, including directing and co- writing Fear VR, the first 4-D virtual reality horror experience at a major theme park.www.lunarvisions.com

GHOST RIDE PRODUCTIONS was founded by special effects artists experienced in Halloween maze effects. The company develops, manufactures and markets innovative specialty products for Halloween and haunted house events, including mechanical effects, special effects, specialty costumes and props. http://www.ghostride.com

 

GANTOM LIGHTING AND CONTROLS was founded in 2010 as a manufacturer of special-effects lighting equipment catering to the themed attraction industry. Gantom’s award-winning products have been installed in a wide range of venues around the world including theme parks, museums and haunted attractions. http://www.gantom.com