117,000 visited High Chaparral this summer

On Sunday, the Småland theme park High Chaparral ended the 2020 summer season. The Wild West park had a total of 117,000 visitors, which corresponds to 73 percent of last year's visitor numbers and 80 percent compared to the previous year.

- The opportunity to open the park at all this summer came with a great responsibility. Our ambition has been to be able to offer a real Wild West experience in a vibrant yet safe park for both staff and visitors. Given the enormous challenge we faced, we are enormously proud that we were able to open and quickly adjust, welcomed so many satisfied visitors and not least to have been able to provide jobs for 350 seasonal employees," says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO of High Chaparral.

Due to the restriction that a maximum of 50 spectators could see each performance, in mid-June High Chaparral made a major shift in line with the brand's "Be part of the adventure", replacing performances with interactive activities featuring characters such as Zorro, Lucky Luke and the Dalton family Annie and Billy the Kid, the settlers and not least cowboys and cowgirls on show horses throughout the park.

"We have received a fantastic response to this new concept and will take our new experiences into the planning work for next year," says Mathias Bergendahl.

Earlier in August, High Chaparral announced that the Halloween and Christmas Table events are canceled this year and are planned to resume in 2021.

Measures related to covid-19
- Ongoing advice from a consultant, PhD in molecular cell biology, regarding covid-19 and the course and effects of a pandemic
- Ongoing advice from a security consultant to ensure compliance with Police permits, laws and applicable restrictions
- Pre-purchase and limited number of entrance tickets per day
- Signs, street talkers and stickers on the ground and floor with messages to keep distance, wash hands regularly, staying at home in case of illness and coughing/sneezing in the arm fold
- Hand sanitizer everywhere in the park
- Disinfection in the carriages between each train journey
- Purchase of fences to delimit staff and visitors and to better work with queuing
- Installation of planks as privacy protection to ensure a maximum of 50 spectators in each arena
- Fever test of staff before each work shift and quarantine accommodation for staff with symptoms of illness
- Compliance with the Public Health Agency of Sweden's guidelines for restaurants, accommodation and cleaning
- Increased number of cleaning sessions in all areas, incl. toilets, accommodation and the campsite service building
- Disinfected cabins and rooms before each new check-in
- Information on measures and offers on the website
- Close cooperation with local and regional authorities
- Entrance hosts at several locations in the park
- Relocation of Wild West scenery
- Realignment in line with the brand's "Be part of the adventure", where performances have been replaced by interactive activities with the park's characters.

High Chaparral cancels Halloween and Christmas dinner

High Chaparral announced today that the Halloween event scheduled for October 2020 is canceled. This year's Christmas dinner in December is also canceled.

- As great uncertainty linked to covid-19 continues to prevail for the fall, we see no other option than to cancel both Halloween and Christmas table this year, and plan to resume both events in 2021, says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO of High Chaparral.

Visitors who have booked accommodation and/or entrance tickets will be contacted shortly for a refund.

The Gold Sink at High Chaparral is awarded Gnosjö Municipality's Architect Prize 2020

High Chaparral is awarded Gnosjö Municipality's architectural prize for Golden Creek, the theme park's own Gold Wash. The award was received by Gnosjö City Council on Thursday.

- "The gold sink was a great innovation that we really believed in and invested in. The fact that it was so well received by our visitors and that we are now receiving an award for it is really great and further proof that the idea we had was really good," says Mattias Tambour, Park Manager and Deputy CEO of High Chaparral.

The gold pan was inaugurated in 2019 and is designed to show how gold panning was done at the end of the 17th century, the era that High Chaparall brings to life. A mountain of rocks was built to illustrate where the gold comes from, and visitors pan for gold in river channels leading from the mountain. The environment is further enhanced with water wheels and gutters, as well as rafts to pull across the water and rocks in the water to jump between to get from land to the island.

Gnosjö Municipality's Architecture Prize
Gnosjö Municipality's Architecture Prize aims to recognize projects that, through good architecture, have added value to society and helped to strengthen the unique qualities of the Gnosjö spirit. Projects built or completed during the last three years are eligible to be nominated for the architecture prize. A nomination for the architecture prize can be made by anyone. (Source: Gnosjo.se)

High Chaparral opens May 21

The High Chaparral theme park announced today that the park will open as planned on May 21.

The Wild West park High Chaparral in Småland is working towards a seasonal opening on May 21. The announcement is based on the permit certificate issued today by the Police Authority.

"We are of course relieved by the Police Authority's announcement today, partly because our loyal visitors have been looking forward to a new season for a long time, and partly to ensure job opportunities for our annual and seasonal employees. In recent weeks, we have worked to develop a plan to open the park in a careful and responsible way, and now that work continues until the season premiere, says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO of High Chaparral.

High Chaparral will adjust its offer to accommodate the current restrictions, subject to possible changes during the season depending on whether restrictions change.

High Chaparral will offer specially tailored Shows this year, with 8 daily performances of the Wild West Stunt Show featuring the famous high fall, 12 daily performances per day of the Lucky Luke Show featuring this year's cute new addition, Snuffy the Shetland pony, and the popular train robbery where train transportation to the show is included in the experience. In Old Mexico , visitors can meet Zorro and two soldiers throughout the day. The steamboat is on display as usual, the Gold Sink is open, the Children's Village is ready for all the kids, and the themed Main Street is a trip back in time. Restaurants and shops are open as usual with adjustments based on the Public Health Authority's guidelines.

High Chaparral Horse Show canceled

High Chaparral today announces the cancellation of the High Chaparral Horse Show event that was to be held adjacent to the theme park from June 25 to 28, 2020.

- It is of course very sad that we have to cancel this year's High Chaparral Horse Show today. A great many visitors have been looking forward to the traditional riding competition. We have waited until the very end with the hope that it could be held, but today we unfortunately have to announce that the event is canceled, says Mathias Bergendahl, CEO of High Chaparral.

High Chaparral is still working towards an opening on May 21, 2020. Due to the Public Health Authority's current restrictions, adjustments are now being made to be able to open the park responsibly and at the same time prevent the spread of infection.

Snuffy got the job after tough auditions

Until now, High Chaparral's characters have been of the two-legged variety. Now they are joined by Snuffy - a delightfully mischievous and friendly Shetland pony.

- We apologize for our other characters in the park, because although they are all very popular with our visitors, we believe that Snuffy will find a very special place in the hearts of both old and young," says High Chaparral's Park Manager and Vice President Mattias Tambour.

The idea of Snuffy has been around for a long time. The idea is that Snuffy will have a relatively free role. She will pop up wherever there is something funny going on.
- Yes, that's it. She has already shown a lovely temperament. She got her name from High Chaparral's founder Bengt Erlandsson's favorite horse, which he had for many years.