It’s that time of year again for Knott’s Peanuts Celebration! In honor of Charles Schultz’s classic Peanuts characters, Knott’s created a mini-festival that runs on the weekends from January 25th through March 1st (plus some extra dates). This is the third year for this event, and it has gotten better every time. Here’s the rundown on the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration for 2020!
New for Peanuts Celebration 2020
Happiness Is… Stage Show
The new stage show, Happiness Is…, is an energetic experience suited for kids. It details what happiness means for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Peppermint Patty.
This is a fairly low-tech show, very simply staged. Overall it’s a cute little show with lots of dancing, singing, and jumping (on a trampoline!). We saw the first showing of the day, and it seemed like they were still having a few sound issues. But they’ll get that worked out, it’s live theater after all.
Pigskin PEANUTS Exhibit at City Hall
The new Pigskin exhibit is a hidden gem at Calico Town Hall. It features a gallery of Peanuts comic strips (thanks to the Charles M. Shulz Museum) and their legacy through its football-themed storylines.
You can sit for a while and watch some classic Peanuts football shorts, or take a look around at some of the historic panels. Plus, you can see the beginnings of the recognizable gag of Lucy swiping the football away from Charlie Brown before he kicks it.
Returning Peanuts Celebration Favorites
There are quite a few returning shows and overlays for Peanuts Celebration this year. Let’s take a look at what you can enjoy.
Space Beagle
This silly show is filled with catchy music and plenty of laughs. It’s located at the Camp Snoopy Theater and tells the story of how Snoopy becomes the first dog on the moon. It’s one of our favorite Peanuts-centered shows of the year!
There are some notable changes to the show this year. It’s shorter than the original version (which is fine, it was a bit long), but Knott’s has returned a few segments and retooled others.
The biggest change is the re-introduction of a moonwalk segment, which was removed last year as a response to negative news about Michael Jackson. The original segment was one of our favorites, but we understand the concern and appreciate that a new segment was introduced! Overall, this is fantastic family entertainment.
Peanuts Sketch School
If you think you’d like to learn to draw the Peanuts characters, now’s your chance! This is a drawing class similar to the Animator Academy at Disney California Adventure, and an instructor guides you through the steps of drawing a member of the Peanuts gang. There’s a different character with every session, so if you enjoyed your first session, you can come back and learn even more!
We drew Charlie Brown for our class. Most of us did a pretty good job.
Peanuts Cowboy Jamboree
Franklin and Linus host this rollickin’ good time at Calico Park. Together, with the help of their friend Sidesaddle McGee, they challenge guests and bystanders to participate in their rodeo-themed games like Race a Stick Horse, Bowl a Cactus, and horseshoes.
This is definitely geared towards the younger crowd, but it can be fun to watch for a few moments for anyone. The kids love getting involved!
PigPen’s PigPen
Pigpen is hanging out with the pigs and horses at the Livery Stable near the Calico Saloon. Come by, say hi to Pigpen, and meet some animal friends. There are horses, pigs, and even a donkey to spend some time with!
Spike’s Discoteca De Silencio
For many of us Californians, the concept of a silent disco is relatively unknown —and that’s a shame because they’re a lot of fun! To help change that, Spike (Snoopy’s brother who lives out in the desert) is hosting a Discoteca De Silencio on weekend evenings. You’ll be given a pair of headphones with three channel options to determine what type of music you want to listen to: Top 40s, Latin Mix, and Anything Goes.
If you’re wondering what Spike looks like, you’re in for a treat. He’s the wilder brother of Snoopy. He meets out in Calico Park during the day and can sometimes be seen walking around the disco.
Woodstock’s Music Festival
During the day, the Calico Mine stage is dressed for Happiness Is… and at night, it’s ready for Woodstock’s Music Festival. This evening show features the Peanuts gang and family-friendly indie band, Jelly of the Month Club. The result is a high octane rock show that’s perfect for anyone wanting to jam!
Returning this year are Snoopy’s persona performances like ‘Fido Mercury’ and ‘Jimi Houndrix.’ Joining him this year, though, is the addition of a Woodstock puppet that interacts with the show in silly ways, often taking on personas like Snoopy.
There’s now a great mix of original songs by Jelly of the Month Club and songs/segments they’ve written specifically to interact with the show, including a new song about Woodstock.
Woodstock really steals this show. Knott’s must’ve learned from the popularity of Puppet Up (during the Halloween season) and Baby Yoda in the Mandalorian because Woodstock is just as cute.
Many on the MiceChat staff believe this is worth the price of admission on its own. It’s like a mini Summer Nights on steroids. Definitely stop by for either of the sets, they’re both unique.
Attraction Overlays
A Trip to Beagle Bonanza
The Grand Sierra Railroad has been given an overlay to take riders on a trip to the Beagle Bonanza. It’s a simple enhancement (just cutout characters and a voiceover) but it’s very charming. Everywhere you look are the antics of the Peanuts gang and Snoopy causing trouble, but the good-old-fashioned kind.
Woodstock’s Bird’s-Eye View
The Peanuts Celebration overlay for the Sky Cabin returns from last year to change it to Woodstock’s nest. There’s not a whole lot you can change up with this attraction, but the narration and music are a welcome addition. Depending on the time of day you visit, the narration changes. During the day the voiceover will pick out points of interest that are viewable from your high vantage point; at night, it’s a light sampling of piano music.
Peanuts Celebration Food and Merchandise
There is Peanuts Celebration-specific food as well as merchandise for guests to partake in. Let’s start with food. The menu draws inspiration from Charles Schulz’s beloved characters (take The Olaf, a large chili dog, for example) and also includes whimsical versions of traditional festival fare (see the Deep Fried Peanut Butter Sandwich).
Most of the food is kid-friendly. And we mean it looks like something a child would beg to eat.
It should be noted that even though the Peanuts Celebration only takes place on weekends, a good portion of the event’s food is still available during the week. So if you can only visit it on a weekday, don’t despair – there are still many Peanuts Celebration food options available!
On the park map, you can find a small list of special Peanuts Celebration offerings and where to find them. This is not a full listing of everything you can find, so there’s almost always something new to try at every eatery.
We decided to pick up the Fried PBJ at the Ghost Town Funnel Cake stand. It actually comes with two and it’s exactly what you think it is, essentially an Uncrustable deep-fried in funnel cake batter, covered in powdered sugar, and then drenched in raspberry sauce.
Needless to say, it was ooey, gooey, sugary, and delicious. I think we’re still feeling the sugar buzz.
Now onto the merchandise. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang have their likeness depicted in several pieces of apparel, including a fun cosplay Snoopy hat-scarf combo. And there are plenty of plush friends to go around!
Compared to the large spread of new food, the themed merchandise was limited, with many items returning from last year. The items are still charming, as one would expect based on the source material, but there just isn’t much variety. Compared to events like the Boysenberry Festival or Knott’s Scary Farm, the Peanuts Celebration is small in scale and only offered on weekends, so Knott’s likely didn’t want to risk getting stuck with left over inventory. And with Knott’s Berry Farm celebrating its 100 year anniversary, there will be different things for the park to promote in the months to come.
This and That
Here are a couple little tidbits we wanted to point out:
Camp Snoopy has this adorable translator box that takes your voice and changes it into the “whomp-whomp” sound of the adults in the Peanuts specials.
Throughout the day, you might spot a small soapbox parade with the Peanuts characters around the Charleston Fountain.
It’s a cute little pop-up show that’s not scheduled. The characters get out and dance with the kids around the fountain.
While you’re in the area, note that Voyage to the Iron Reef is now permanently closed while we await the installation of Knott’s Beary-Tales.
And beware of kite-eating trees! Keep your kites away!
Charlie Brown Day
On February 2nd, Knott’s will be celebrating Charlie Brown during the Peanuts Celebration. The park is inviting guests to share their love of the yellow shirt-wearing kid by wearing their own yellow zig-zag shirts, red baseball hats, and black shorts for the biggest gathering of Charlie Browns. There will be a special photo moment in front of the Calico Mine stage.
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Let’s Hear From You
Knott’s Peanuts Celebration runs on weekends through March 1st, plus a few additional dates. Are you a Peanuts fan? Is this a festival that you and/or your kids would enjoy? Are you as impressed as we are at Knott’s expanding line-up of festivals and celebrations? Let us know in the comments below.