Snoopy's Night Before Christmas - Behind the Scenes
Catheryn Cervantes
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Did you hear Knott’s Merry Farm debuted an all-new ice show for 2022?
With a name like Snoopy’s Night Before Christmas, you might expect it to be based on the original 19th-century story, but that’s too predictable. This show is actually all about Snoopy’s Christmas Eve dreamscape. As the show opens, we find our beloved beagle stretched out atop his favorite red dog house, settling in on a chilly Xmas eve, and then… sorry, no spoilers. But I will share some details from behind the scenes with you! What I will say is that this brand-new show never loses sight of the true meaning of Christmas.
Let’s explore several fun details about this all-new show! This will give you a better idea of what it takes to create a spectacular production such as this one, found only here at Knott’s Berry Farm.
- It feels like there’s always been an Ice Skating Holiday show at Knott’s, right? Well, sort of. 2022 marks 40 years since Knott’s Berry Farm has had an ice show and is still the only theme park around to offer one.
- But what about the true meaning of Christmas? We love that part from the old show! Not to fret! Knott's retained certain aspects of the old show because it works. So don’t worry. The meaning of Christmas retold by Linus will always be a part of the show, just like the endearing tribute to our soldiers and the dove finale.
- Wondering how long the new show had been in the works? Due to the park closure, this new show's debut was delayed by one year and was two years in the making.
- The doves! Did you know Knott’s houses the punctual feathered troupe on property all year round next to their horses?
- Everyone loves Bubbles! 10-12 gallons of bubble fluid are used for the entire run of the ice show. As for the snow, each machine will use about 5-10 gallons of snow fluid throughout the show’s season.
- Is it cold in here, or is it just me? Bundle up, kids! The theater is kept at a cool 60°-65° while the ice floor is chilled down to about 8° Fahrenheit.
Costumes
From the adorable gnomes that open the show to the grand finale, the custom costumes the cast of 13 uses during the show were sewn on-site using a total of 265 yards of fabric. This is just one more element to creating the overall theme for each of the seven scenes that tie together the sets and the music.
How about that new stage!
The new LED video wall utilizes 225 video panels that measure 14’ 9” tall by 41’ wide. The resolution is 1,800 x 5,000 pixels. Fully adjustable for this show and the ice, the video wall intensity is turned way down most of the time, only operating at 10 – 20% of its full brightness. As for the projections, there are four- 30,000-lumen projectors for the Proscenium and two - 7,000-lumen projectors for the Snow Globes.
Come see the show for yourselves on select dates in the Walter Knott Theater. It's an experience you won't want to miss!