According to reports including directly from the affected performers, Knott's Berry Farm has cut several entertainment acts from its schedule for Boysenberry Festival which is due to start in a few weeks. These acts had already been announced for the festival, but have been removed from the festival website, and include the Totally Tubular 80s Dance Party, the Bluegrass Duo which performs on the side of the Livery Stable facing the Bird Cage Theatre, and the live music act that performs at the Boardwalk Barbeque stage. The bluegrass duo performers have not been given a return date to perform again. Also, the Calico Saloon show will be having its last scheduled show within the next few weeks, and the Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies schedule was reduced from three nights per week to two (eliminating Friday nights).
Reasons for the entertainment cuts that have been speculated include not enough revenue from last fall's Scary Farm, a new head of entertainment for Knott's taking over recently, or the cost of renovating both Fiesta Village and the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel at the same time. But according to Robert's article from last week, the parent company Cedar Fair is doing well financially, including posting record net revenues in 2022.
In any case, if you value the live entertainment that Knott's offers and not just the rides there, please let your feelings be known by visiting the Guest Services building near Ghost Town, the Information Desk near the park entrance, or by writing an email to info@knotts.com.
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Entertainment is always the first to be cut when a parks wants to save money, and the last added back when it's needed the most... Shame, as Knott's has always been a leader in live entertainment in the parks, even more-so than Disney at points.
Speaking as someone who's only been to Knott's once, I can't say that I really missed out on any of their entertainment offerings since I was hopping from ride to ride. However, if any of the Ghost Town performers are cut, then yeah, no bueno.
Since I wrote the earlier post, things had actually gotten even worse. The school house was no longer staffed/open to the public, the Western Trails museum in Ghost Town had closed, as well as Gertie's dress shop in Ghost Town (an employee would talk about how clothing was made in the old days). Also, the native American dancer was no longer performing, and the K-NOT Radio stage with its live d-jays providing humorous banter was completely dismantled and performances eliminated.
But there was some good news more recently. The schedule for the Bluegrass Duo was reinstated for Boysenberry Festival starting March 24th, Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies had some weekday dates added, and someone reported on social media that the museum was open this past weekend.
There is a lot of outrage on social media regarding the entertainment cuts and people have reported sending emails and complaining at the park's Guest Services and Information Desk locations. So congrats to everyone who has voiced their displeasure to Knott's about the cuts and gotten some positive results from the park.
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I know about the 80s dance party being cut but is all the entertainment being cut and is this true?