The boysenberry may be a summer fruit, but Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park finds plenty of ways to celebrate its origins and various holidays year-round.
January–April: Knott’s “Peanuts” Celebration and Knott’s Boysenberry Festival
The calendar year kicks off with the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, held on select weekends in late January and February. It features live shows with Peanuts characters, meet-and-greets, and added activities like character-drawing classes.
Starting in March, the Ghost Town section of the park is consumed with the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival. During this window your pass gets you tastings of creative, berry-fueled dishes (say, chicken wings with a boysenberry glaze, or quesadillas made with purple boysenberry tortillas and accented with a spicy berry dipping sauce). Adults can even pair their food with boysenberry wine, along with other local wines and beers.
Summer at Knott’s Berry Farm
Throughout the summer, the park’s midway of rides buzzes with its Summer Nights celebrations, when things are turned up a notch with live music, food, and games. Meanwhile, the Wild West section of the park is the focal point of Ghost Town Alive!, an interactive experience featuring appearances by bandits and cowboys, and evening parties that feel like Western-style hoedowns.
September–October: Knott’s Scary Farm and Knott’s Spooky Farm
The holiday season kicks off with Knott’s Scary Farm (typically from mid-September through Halloween), when the park gets a ghoulish makeover, with thrill rides that operate in the dark and haunted houses and scare zones that feel like live horror films. The park walkways are even in play, with creepy clowns and zombies popping in and out of the fog. The theme park sometimes offers mature-audiences-only shows at the Walter Knott Theatre during the event, or even behind-the-scenes tours of the creepy attractions during the day.
The scarefest only runs on select nights during the season and is not recommended for kids under 13. Younger kids (or grownups who aren’t fond of zombies) will prefer Knott’s Spooky Farm, which runs on select days. It features trick-or-treating in Ghost Town and seasonal fun like a Halloween Hootenanny on the Timber Mountain Log Ride or a special show at the Camp Snoopy Theatre.
November–early January: Knott’s Merry Farm
By mid-November, the park shifts into Knott’s Merry Farm (running through early January), when holiday trimmings cover the park, carolers stroll, and live shows take center stage. Meanwhile, the Bird Cage Theatre presents its own shows, like a reimagined version of the Charles Dickens classic, A Calico Christmas Carol, or O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. Stay for the evening when man-made snow falls over Ghost Town.
Plan Your Trip
To make the most of these seasonal events, book discounted tickets online, through the sites for Knott’s Berry Farm or Visit Buena Park. Also, consider staying at either the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel, which offers bundled lodging-plus-admission packages, or at other hotels along Beach Boulevard, some of which are within walking distance of the park.
For more ideas, check out how to skip the lines at California theme parks, and how to save money on your theme park trip.
