The ‘Peanuts’ Gang Lives On (at Camp)

In the days following Charles M. Schulz’s death on Feb. 12, numerous “Peanuts” fans made the pilgrimage to Knott’s Berry Farm to pay tribute to the famed cartoonist and the beloved characters he drew for a half century.

Knott’s is the home of Camp Snoopy, a six-acre children’s park devoted to Schulz’s classic “Peanuts” comic strip. For the past 17 years it’s been a place where devotees of Charlie Brown and the gang can feel like they’re a tangible part of the “Peanuts” family.

On Saturday, Knott’s kicks off the first of two “Peanuts” events at Camp Snoopy celebrating the comic strip’s 50th birthday. “Snoopy’s Spring Break Birthday Blast” will take place Saturday through April 30, to be followed by “Snoopy’s Summer Birthday Blast” from June 24 to Sept. 4.

Schulz’s colon cancer-related death, which fell on the evening before his last original “Peanuts” strip was published, figures to heighten public interest in Knott’s special celebrations.

“In some ways, [his death] has caused these events to take on more urgency,” says Bob Ochsner, director of public relations at Knott’s Berry Farm. “It has increased people’s interest in the ‘Peanuts’ characters and the ‘Peanuts’ family. There’s a certain intense affection for the characters that I don’t imagine other [similar comic strip] properties receive. There’s a certain special connection that kids and, especially, adults have with the characters.”

Perhaps the highlight of “Snoopy’s Spring Break Birthday Blast” will be Saturday’s debut of a new “Peanuts”-themed ride, Charlie Brown Speedway. The attraction is specifically designed for children and their parents. It features scaled-down stock cars that maneuver around a pint-sized racetrack. A colorfully painted backdrop contains images of the Linus, Sally, Snoopy and Woodstock characters.

Two permanent attractions will be modified to reflect the birthday celebration. The interactive Camp Snoopy Playhouse will portray the various “Peanuts” characters preparing for the big bash. Each room in the playhouse is the personal residence of a different character.

Similarly, Camp Snoopy’s Sidewalk Theatre will be given a tem-porary birthday theme. Lucy, Charlie Brown, Sally and Schroeder will travel the trails of Camp Snoopy in this new production.

Schulz himself had a hand in the development of a new interactive comic strip attraction. Visitors will be able to step inside four oversized “Peanuts” comic strips. They are designed for those people seeking choice photo opportunities.

“We took mock-ups [of the interactive comic strips] up to [Schulz] at his home in Santa Rosa,” recalls Ochsner. “He was very hands-on. He wanted to make sure they represented his style, his art and his look.”

All attractions also will be available during “Snoopy’s Summer Birthday Blast.” New summer events will include a birthday-themed “Peanuts” ice show at Knott’s 2,100-seat Good Time Theatre. Five characters will skate in this ice spectacular, which will feature special effects. Schulz took part in the planning of this too. A Minnesota native, he owned his own ice rink in Santa Rosa and was an avid hockey player.

During “Snoopy’s Summer Birthday Blast,” Camp Snoopy’s Grizzly Creek Lodge will host birthday parties featuring character appearances and giveaways.

“There will be a birthday celebration at the end of each day,” Ochsner says. “It was important that there be a place where people could physically celebrate the birthday. There will be a birthday cake-cutting event. We don’t know if it will be a piece of cake or a cupcake, but there will be something for every child in the park who wants to celebrate the party. It’s not a birthday that just exists on paper.”

Camp Snoopy attractions also exist in Sandusky, Ohio, and at the Mall of America near Minneapolis. A fourth is scheduled to open this summer in Allentown, Pa.

When Schulz died, “Peanuts” reached more than 355 million readers in 75 countries. Previously published strips continue to appear in newspapers around the world. Ochsner says Knott’s doesn’t believe that the lack of fresh strips will significantly diminish the future appeal of “Peanuts” and Camp Snoopy. (It was Schulz’s desire that the strip not be continued by other cartoonists after his death.)

“Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny have far outlived their creators,” Ochsner points out. “It will be the same with the ‘Peanuts’ characters. What we and other properties [representing “Peanuts”] intend to do with the characters is to continue to ensure that they live significantly into the future. There is still talk about new animated TV specials. We’re still talking about expanding our [existing] ‘Peanuts’ theme parks.”

Camp Snoopy isn’t the only area being spruced up at Knott’s this year. In June, Knott’s will open Soak City, U.S.A., a separately gated, 13-acre water park with 21 water rides themed to vintage Southern California beach towns of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Meanwhile, Perilous Plunge is scheduled to debut at the main Knott’s complex in June. It’s being billed as “the tallest, steepest and wettest water ride on the planet.”

Between June 24 and Sept. 4, Extreme Wheels returns to Knott’s for another summer of shows featuring in-line skaters, BMX bikers and skateboard daredevils. Extreme Wheels is owned and operated by Jill Schulz, Charles’ daughter.

“Jill has a long history with Knott’s Berry Farm,” Ochsner said. “One of the reasons Camp Snoopy exists is because we worked with Jill years ago. In 1981, Jill started skating in our ice show as Snoopy because it was something fun she wanted to do for her dad. That was extraordinarily popular. So the next year, [we turned Snoopy] into a walk-around character at the park. Then the following year we turned it into a whole themed area called Camp Snoopy.”

BE THERE

“Snoopy’s Spring Break Birthday Blast” takes place Saturday through April 30. “Snoopy’s Summer Birthday Blast” runs June 24-Sept. 4. Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, (714) 220-5200, https://www.knotts.com.