With Orange County, California instituting a new stay-at-home order thanks to a surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations, Knott’s Berry Farm will have to cancel three weeks of events for its Taste of Merry Farm food festival.
Knott’s announced on Twitter that it is canceling event dates from Dec. 11 through 26 — 13 dates in all — because of the regional stay-at-home order from California’s state government.
“We wish you and your families a safe and healthy holiday season and we look forward to welcoming you back inside the park very soon,” the park tweeted.
Guests who had purchased tickets for the sold-out dates will receive automatic refunds to be processed by Dec. 12. For those who had reservations at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel, guests will have to call for assistance.
The festival, featuring seasonal food, drinks and decorations, but no attractions, is tentatively scheduled to return on Sunday, Dec. 27. While that date is sold out, tickets are still available for events from Dec. 28 through Jan. 3.
Other California parks have also had to scale back their limited operations thanks to the stay-at-home orders, which are based on the capacity available in a region’s intensive care hospital units. Disneyland’s Downtown Disney has closed restaurants which do not offer take-out service, with no food allowed to be consumed on the resort premises. Retail locations will remain open at 20 percent capacity.
Further down the coast, Legoland California has canceled its Holidays in Legoland event. SeaWorld San Diego has reclosed its animal exhibits and will remain shuttered “until the Southern California Region’s zoos are permitted to reopen,” the park said in a press release.
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