Welcome to 1894! Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time, Hershey’s Chocolate Company was established, and the motion picture film was just patented! And it’s summertime, so that means the little town of Calico is celebrating Founder’s Day in the heart of Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm! Confused? That’s fine. We’ll provide a quick rundown.
Since 2016, Knott’s Berry Farm has played host to ‘Ghost Town Alive,’ an IAAPA-award-winning interactive event that takes place daily in the park’s Ghost Town. On the day you visit, the town’s citizens are celebrating ‘Founder’s Day,’ with lots of festivities and games, concluding with a parade and hoedown in the afternoon.
Upon entering into town, you can register yourself at town hall by taking a pledge, or help deliver packages from the post office. You can become a part of the press for the Calico Gazette to dig up dirt, or become a bounty hunter by tracking down folks on wanted posters. It’s as engaging as you want it to be.Following along from last year’s story, where Fluke Mayfield saved the day, we’re now in the year 1894. Before we go any further, it’s time to introduce the cast of characters that will be populating the businesses around town.
Starting off at the Assay Office, you’ll come here to get your gold appraised by Ophelia or Flint, and also to maybe talk poetry with Matchstick Malone, one of the newcomers this year.
On the opposite end of town is the bank. This year, Ms. Cookie is joined by Cornelius Thadius Thompkins III and “Lulu” Newcomb, who might be hiding a secret or two.
The barbershop is where you’ll get your mustache put on, along with any other medicines and gossip. Barbara Gaines has come back and left the dress shop behind to help out around here this Founder’s Day. And the new guy is Thurston Shaw. He’s a little intimidated to be here, but he’ll warm up to you quickly.
While Bixby and Emery aren’t around when the morning starts, they’ll quickly find their way back into town with the news that they’re the new owners of the Bird Cage theater. And they have big ideas to transform it, but they’re more than happy to get your input, too.
Over by the town’s premier hotel, Thelma has enlisted Marybelle Starling to help run things. It might or might not be haunted. Whatever makes you more likely to visit.
It wouldn’t be Founder’s Day without the Mayfields strolling around. This year, you’ll find Fluke, Clay, Scruff, Tiny, and Ox wandering around. They’re not the easiest folks to trust, but life is always easier when you’re on their good side.
The Post Office and the Gazette are basically joined at the hip. This is the place to go for the latest news, especially if you want to get your own name in the paper, or to report any pertinent rumors. Make sure to come back multiple times throughout the day to collect all the editions! And also pop inside the mail room to see if there are any letters or packages that they need help delivering.
Before you get scared because you’re on summer break, the schoolhouse is still a fun place to be. Atoning for their crimes from last Founder’s Day, Phoebe and the professor have pledged to help out teaching classes this year alongside Nell and Malcom. But don’t be surprised if the professor is trying to go back to his old sneaky ways. It’s a hard habit to break.
Skyler is now the top sheriff in town. Her loyal deputies aid her, and in this round, Hansen has been promoted to Sergeant! There’s also the new folks of Detective Abraham Frinkerton and Deputy Priscilla Parker. Make sure to give them a nice howdy when coming into town.
In addition to the Mayfields, the other outlaws around town shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, but Cody has broken free from the assay office and is back to his old ways as a Mad Buck, alongside Dirk and Dead-Eye. Teddy has completely given up the dress shop and become representation for the Mayfields, whether they want it or not.
Alright! After that crash course on Founder’s Day, let’s see what goes on in a typical day. 
It begins, of course, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Everyone’s either super pumped for the day or just waking up. It doesn’t take much to figure out who is in which camp.
After everyone has dispersed, you might be able to catch Clancy resting in his favorite spot, hoping to catch wandering guests off guard.
The town starts off the day without a mayor, so a new one is being sent by rail, since the town can’t be trusted to elect one on their own anymore.
It just so happens that Milton C. Howell and Pearl Parnell have been welcomed back! They certainly have some tales to tell.
Emery and Bixby have also returned. But instead of filming this time, they’re the new owners of the Bird Cage theater, and they’re trying to turn it into a business empire.
At the same time, some bad news comes down the pipeline. The mine’s run dry! As the headline states, the future of the town is grim. What will Calico become if there’s no more gold being mined?
But that won’t stop Founder’s Day. There are still games to be had. Lots of races and competitions take place in front of Town Hall.
The Professor is trying to atone for his crimes last year, stealing the catfish and wiring up the down, despite their wishes. As part of his parole, he’s been charged with fixing the contraption used on the town last year, in addition to helping out at the schoolhouse. He probably could use the help of guests.
It doesn’t take long for the Mayfields to get into trouble. After deputizing the crowd, the sheriff and her deputies make their way to the saloon.
After taking care of the shootout at the saloon, the Mayfields plead their case to the judge in front of town hall. Lulu reveals a secret to the crowd, but we won’t reveal that here. Based on that news, the judge lets them all go, with a stern warning.
Later, back on the topic of the mine running dry, the town decides they need to pivot to a new industry to survive. The only question is, which one? Three different businesses in town make their case for getting the last of the investment money from town hall, and it’ll be up to everyone to vote on which one is most deserving.
You can even help deliver proxy votes for the citizens that can’t leave their post.
Once the voting wraps up, it’s time for the inaugural Founder’s Day parade. It begins at the Assay Office at 4:10. Each business gets to decorate the “float” with a little token that represents them best.
It’s a quaint little wagon, but it’s so charming.
Everyone gets to participate, if they wish. Banging drums, riding ponies, shouting through megaphones. However you want to make noise and bring attention to the parade, you can do it.
And of course, it ends at Calico Park, right in time for the hoedown to start. The winner of the vote is declared, the graduates from the school house are honored, and the day ends with a lot of dancing, friends and enemies alike.
Beyond the actual storyline, the real magic of Ghost Town Alive is the moments in between the story beats. It’s the creative interactions you have with the characters. And this year’s story is great at facilitating that. It still allows for a storyline to wrap up while letting the guests go wild with ideas.
And while we haven’t caught any new toys around town yet, the existing ones, like being a city planner in town hall, are very much appreciated. The little ones love getting a chance to rearrange the town how they see fit.
When (not if) it gets too hot, the Bird Cage theater has a show three times a day. Miss Cameo Kate’s Burlesque Revue is a big musical number and a great way to spend 25 minutes in an air-conditioned building.
All in all, Ghost Town Alive is great this year. They’ve finally rediscovered their footing after needing to make small changes beyond their control over the years. Some curious story elements this year haven’t been fully answered yet, like why Milton Howell has a gravestone that suddenly appeared. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t stress that Ghost Town Alive is a living event and things change momentarily. So our experience will definitely not fully match your own events throughout the day, and that’s exactly what makes Ghost Town Alive so magical. You get out of it exactly what you put into it..
Ghost Town Alive is included with your admission to Knott’s Berry Farm and runs daily through most of the summer, and weekends in August through Labor Day. Tickets and passes are available at Knotts.com.
