By Charly Shelton

The fog hasn’t quite rolled into Ghost Town yet, but Knott’s Berry Farm is already preparing to unleash another year of monsters.

Knott’s welcomed the biggest haunt fans last week for its annual Nightmares Revealed event, which gives a first look at what’s coming to Knott’s Scary Farm when the event returns on Sept. 17. This year brings two new mazes, two new shows, a reimagined(ish) scare zone and, most importantly, another excuse to wander around Ghost Town in the fog until 2 a.m.

The two new mazes are Inked and Unearthed, and they both sound like perfect additions to the lineup, though in different ways.

Inked follows Mortimer Morbid, a 1930s cartoonist who is in no way a depiction of the “other” theme park magnate down the street in Anaheim. Mortimer’s creations come to life when blood spills into the ink and the characters get a taste for it. His attempt at a Halloween special unleashes a collection of murderous cartoon characters, giving Scary Farm a chance to play with the increasingly popular combination of vintage animation and horror, á la Bendy and the Ink Machine. 

Unearthed heads in another direction entirely, sending guests into a devastated archaeological excavation after an ancient evil is awakened by the discovery of mysterious tablets. Classic mummy horror action, and with the incredible set and character design that Knott’s is known for, this may be one of the most visually stunning houses to date. 

There are also two new shows. Voodoo: Bayou’s Edge takes over the Calico Mine Stage with dancers, fire and the court of Baron Samedi. And the restored Bird Cage Theatre will host Occultum, in partnership with The Magic Castle. This will bring actual Magic Castle magicians into one of the most intimate and historic venues in the park.

Over on the Boardwalk, CarnEVIL has been reimagined with a new collection of clowns, sideshow performers and assorted carnies you probably wouldn’t want following you through a dark parking lot. And lording over them all is Mesmer, the namesake of a maze which closed a few years ago, making this is infamous return. 

Knott’s also unveiled its latest interactive lantern, marking the fourth consecutive year the park has introduced a new version. This year’s model features a skull design and still interacts with effects throughout the mazes but adds another layer: a park-wide game that allows guests to visit stations and collect different colors with the lantern. I picked one up at the preview and am looking forward to seeing how much more there is to discover once the event actually opens.

And because this is Knott’s, we also need to talk about food. Among the dishes I sampled at the media event were the jalapeño popper burger and black raspberry chocolate tart, along with the CarnEVIL cotton candy IPA. Based on the preview alone, this year’s Scary Farm food lineup is shaping up to be a strong one. A full tasting and review of the new offerings can be found in my video at the QR code accompanying this story.

Returning favorite houses round out the event, including Cinema Slasher, Widows, The Chilling Chambers (final year), Origins: The Curse of Calico (final year) and Eight Fingers Nine: The Boogeyman, along with the Ghost Town Streets, Gore-ing ’20s, Forsaken Lake and The Gauntlet scare zones. The Hanging also returns with this year’s edition, Noose Maxxxing.

There are still a few weeks before the monsters officially take over but the fog can’t roll in fast enough. This is going to be a year to be at Knott’s Scary Farm for sure. 

The event runs select nights Sept. 17 through Oct. 31. Visit Knotts.com for tickets and more info.