As an amusement park enthusiast who also works in the amusement industry, namely in haunted houses, I very rarely get to attend fall or Halloween-related events at locations that only operate on the weekends. I took numerous days off this season in order to accommodate for this, and it hasn’t been a let down. Knoebels “Hallo-Fun” event was certainly a highlight.
Myself and a few others from the Eagle Eye drove down to Knoebels on Oct. 22, which is the busiest weekend across the industry for the Halloween season. I went in anticipating long lines and an overall busy park, and that’s exactly what we got. It wasn’t a trainwreck, though.
Knoebels did an excellent job decorating for a family friendly Halloween event. They had various blow-up decorations, such as a giant pumpkin and dragon near their smaller ride, Giant Flume. They had an animatronic witch outside of one of their storefronts and it would be triggered when people walked by. They had a spooky light show synced to music, which seemed to be a fan favorite as there was always a crowd for the performance. One of the more odd fall themed attractions was what I was lovingly calling the “corn pit” which was simply just a sandbox… full of corn… but the kids loved it! So I guess it was good.
The lines for the attractions were generally around 30 minutes each, except for
Flying Turns, which had a 60 minute wait until the tail end of the day. Thankfully, we waited until then to ride. The Phoenix, which is deemed to be the best wooden coaster in the world by Amusement Today, lived up to its title with its intense airtime hills that kept you out of your seat for the majority of the ride. Twister, the other wooden coaster at the park, was more enjoyable than I recalled from prior visits. It was hitting intense speeds, and was blazing through its curves. It also felt far longer than I remembered.
Unfortunately I missed out on their seasonal snacks, but as per usual, it was incredibly affordable AND delicious, which is hard to find at an amusement park. I kept it simple for lunch and got a cheese dog and Tiger Tail. Tiger Tails are my absolute favorite park food– you can’t go wrong with a soft pretzel covered in cinnamon sugar, caramel sauce, and chocolate sauce.
Overall, Knoebels “Hallo-Fun” event was a hit and I certainly would love to go again. The traditional Knoebels atmosphere with a traditional Halloween twist makes for a park experience that can put anyone into the Halloween spirit without needing to visit a haunted house.
