The presence of Knott’s Scary Farm at Midsummer Scream is more of a detailed exploration of the event rather than an actual reveal. This is due to the close timing of the convention with their own annual Nightmares Revealed event. Tickets for that will go on sale in a few days and will likely sell out almost immediately. There will be one lights-on walk-through of a maze, with everything else being revealed in a big spectacle. This time around the main focus was on Wax Works, which they also confirmed will finally be making its final trip to the farm this year season.
The initial was to not simply do a maze of wax figures mixed with real actors but to go behind the scenes. 
Knott’s displayed the blueprint schematics utilized for all the planning; it’s used for every department. Here the guest flow is depicted as a line snaking its way through the entire area.
They also plan out all the facades, props, and whatnot 
Again, the schematics return, but this time this is how the paint crew sees it, breaking each scene up into the core colors.
Each prop is heavily detailed before production. 
Even costumes receive a lot of attention. This time, all actors had a deep backstory, informing their behaviors, an aspect not directly experienced by normal guests.
They mentioned that even old mazes receive new additions. For example, last year, a new room was added in place of where the Invisible Man used to be.
They then discussed the history of “The Hanging” and how it was brought back for the 50th anniversary. Moving the show from the Mine Stage to the Wagon Camp last year was a key factor in its success, as it meant that it was no longer offensive to guests passing by. The decision to keep it at the Wagon Camp is likely permanent at this point.
Afterward, they discussed the makeup department, where we learned about the extensive process of preparing hundreds of monsters each night. The work wraps up at 8:30 PM, and it’s all done by the dedicated staff behind the scenes who you never get to see. They now make the prosthetics and masks in-house because they found that the store-bought ones looked too obviously store-bought.
The final segment was on the park decorations, which got a large budget increase for the 50th. A big portion of which went towards the skull chandeliers above the entry gate. 
Carnevil received a lot of love last year as well. It received a wide variety of decorations for the first time, beyond just some bunting and posters. It was noted that it was absurd to have a child for scale in the diagram, as this is not a children’s event.
Fiesta Village was an interesting one because it was undecided up until the last minute if it was going to have a scare zone or not for the 50th. Those plans were not to be, but they hinted at changes for this season, so let’s see what news comes out later this month. 
Finally, they touched on the amazingly elaborate greenhouse scene added to Forsaken Lake. This area has to be seen to be believed, especially when activated with a lantern. And next month we’ll see how it’s grown to take over even more of Forsaken Lake. 
That’s all for now. The big reveal will be on August 22nd with a series of announcements. One thing that wasn’t mentioned in this panel, but in an earlier one, is that Elvira will be making a return for a few nights this year. Additionally, a compilation of her shows over the years will be featured in the Walter Knott Theater.
Knott’s Scary Farm runs select nights beginning September 19th. Tickets and more info is available at https://www.knotts.com/events/scary-farm.
