Knott’s Boysenberry Festival Blooms & Preparing for Reopening

Welcome back to the Farm where the Boysenberries are in bloom and being served in dozens of delicious dishes throughout the park. This week launches the annual Boysenberry Festival in altered form for this year. We’ll share some info on the popular event as well as some other interesting news from the park, including the go-ahead to reopen attractions as soon as APRIL!!!

Berry Best Boysenberry Bites

With only five tastes per card, it may be hard to choose what items to use them on. We tried dozens of berry-full treats, but only a few can be the berry best! Rather than pick from a numerical list, we decided to create a few categories for you. That said, you can also buy items à la carte, so if you go through your tasting card, there’s still options for trying everything you want.

Best Served Hot

One of our favorites from last year’s Boysenberry Festival preview returned to top our favorites again this year. Just as smooth and complex as ever and oh…those brown butter croutons! We were tempted to use multiple tastes on this one.

Best Bet for Kids

Returning from previous festivals, the Fried Mac and Cheese Bites are bound to be a winner for the kids. Along with some boysenberry ketchup, it’s exactly what you’re expecting, a light battered shell full of cheese and pasta. It’s served with tater tots in many locations, but you can pick it up with fries at the Wilderness Broiler by Calico River Rapids.

Best Dessert

We didn’t really expect the bundt cake to top our list after the Christmas Tree version from Taste of Merry Farm, but unlike that one this Red Velvet Bundt Cake has just the right amount of frosting. It’s delectable!  

Best for Adults

The Boysenberry Mai Tai is a tiki-style frozen drink with a boysenberry kick. While sweet, it wasn’t overly so, and the pineapple helps balance the drink and make it extra refreshing. This is a real winner that we’ll try again soon. 

Most Unique

The Pork Bao with Boysenberry Kimchi was a real surprise. While the kimchi may have a pungent smell (it’s made with fermented vegetables), ignore that and enjoy the slightly sweet and savory bao with a bit of the tangy kimchi. It’s a delightfully complex dish that satisfies both your tastebuds and sense of adventure. 

Best Not to Share

You won’t want to share the savory Pastrami Sandwich. This was a favorite from the preview last year, which seems to have been plussed a bit with some provolone cheese. With a generous helping of boysenberry mustard and seasoned meat, this one is a must-try. 

Honorable Mentions:

Knott’s always seems to have killer sausages during their festivals and the Chicken and Apple Sausage on Boysenberry Bun is no different. Doubling up on the boysenberry, the mustard and the bun are chock full of the stuff. Our only suggestion is that despite the sausage being a generous portion, the bun is quite large, so we recommend a little extra mustard on the side to dip the bread in.

A late addition, the Boysenberry Dippin’ Dots are a Knott’s exclusive flavor. If you’ve had the Boysenberry ICEE, it’s similar in flavor but with Dippin’ Dots texture. 

A Kiddie Surprise That Adults Will Love

A surprising addition, the Kid’s Mocktail was a concept we’d love to see expanded upon. It’s a sparkling cider ice cream float, an unusual but tinglingly delicious combination. Though, we think it would be even more delicious if the vanilla soft serve was substituted with boysenberry!

More FOOD! Full Boysenberry Festival Menu

There are over 70 food options available throughout the park for this year’s festival, many of them featuring the now-famous boysenberry. There are so many options, in fact, we had to split it off into its own article. Check out our article here:

Time to Dig in with Knott’s Taste of Boysenberry Festival’s Full Menu

 

Entertainment

Even after getting stuffed with so much boysenberry goodness, the thing that really sold the cost of admission for us were the snippets of entertainment scattered around the park. The characters, performers, and musicians really helped bring a little jolt of energy and theme park magic to an already electric festival. Just walking around you might encounter the following:

The Mayor of Calico

A disaster in the bakery – Lotta Leftovers

You’ll find Lotta in a window above the Calico Toy Store. The funny impromptu act involves the guests below as she manages to fumble a recipe in the “Boysenberry Test Kitchen.” 

A dude waxing his surfboards

A magician

K-NOT playing all your retro favorites from their DJ booth

And a Boysenberry Festival Judge

We appreciate the inclusion of distanced photo ops with favorite characters like Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the Easter Bunny.

But the real star of the show was the return of Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. After a full year of hiatus, Kirk and the gang are now playing several sets on select nights of the Taste of Boysenberry Festival. Seating is strictly monitored by Knott’s Staff at one party per table – VERY well spaced out seating. 

Of course, we’ve all seen Krazy Kirk before, but we love them. They’re a fan favorite for their humor, heart, and catchy musical ability. Yet it still felt quite surreal seeing them back up on the stage again.

 

For a few strange moments, the music enveloped us and we nearly forgot all the weird stuff that’s happened for the last year. At least, that was until Kirk jokingly stopped The Devil Went Down to Georgia mid-song to remind the devil to stay 6ft away from him!

Easter Egg Hunt

With Easter fast approaching, Knott’s created a colorful hidden egg hunt around the park. You use your smartphone to scan a QR code each time you spot a hidden egg in the park and it tracks your progress. 

Here’s the message Dusty saw on his phone after finding the first egg: 

Just scan the code to track your progress: 

Some of the eggs are actually quite pretty, like this wonderfully painted Sad-Eye Joe. I’d honestly consider buying something like this if they offered collectible versions:

You never know where you might find some cute themed eggs…

Camp Bunny…or Scary Farm?

Along with the hunt, Camp Snoopy has been taken over by rabbits. There are oversized, shiny easter eggs everywhere. 

And while most of it is very cute, some are delightfully creepy…

Turn the creep factor up to 11 by walking through Camp Snoopy at night, which is almost like a Scary Farm version of Easter.

The blue, purple, red, and orange lighting completely transforms the feel of the area. 

Joking aside, we did find some cute decorations like the projections on the waterfall, which swapped between things like bunnies, easter eggs, and boysenberries.

We also loved all the Woodstocks farming boysenberries. Adorable.

Knott’s Gets Crafty

There are so many craft booths at this year’s Boysenberry Festival that it almost feels like the Christmas Crafts Village. You’ll find them located throughout Ghost Town and Fiesta Village. 

Here’s a listing: 

• Freedman Glass – Professional Glass artist Myles Freedman creates hand-blown glass masterpieces. Freedman’s art glass is aesthetic beauty immersed in 3-dimensional work.
• A Cute Little Shop – Hand-painted and crafted gifts and decor. Free personalization available.
• Beaded Jewelry – Be sure to check out this collection of beaded jewelry and accessories.
• Build a Beanie – A truly unique experience. These experts in headwear will assist in creating a product just for you. Add flair and scents to create a custom product.
• Carlos Martinez Jr. – Local SoCal artist specializing in pop culture mashups.
• Celtic Rings – Hand-crafted, custom-designed Celtic rings.
• Collective Scents – Artisanal studio that specializes in plant-based natural gifts made in small batches using the finest ingredients.
• Creative Sea Creations – Beautiful and creative jewelry, Holiday decor including wreaths and ornaments.
• Daffodil Gems – Handcrafted soaps and self-care items for the whole family. Natural Ingredients and vegan friendly. 

• Flores Honey – Southern California local beekeeper, honey and bee products.
• Gladis Alejandre – Beautifully curated collection of wearable art. You’ll find delicately crafted jackets, t-shirts, artwork, accessories, and jewelry that celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture.
• Headbands & Bows – A perfect way to add a special touch to your wardrobe. The very best in unique or custom, handmade products!
• Hecho A Mano – Handcrafted apparel, clothes, bibs, aprons.

• Leafy Love – Specializing in handcrafting loose leaf tea blends. Each tea blend is designed to provide different benefits while nourishing the body with antioxidants.
• Miss Doolittle’s – Home of all kinds of tutus, hair bows, cute crochet, and knitted hats, wooden garden decor, and princess goodies of all kinds!
• Pattrashome Yarn Animals & Crafts – Products are uniquely designed and handmade with quality.
• Puro Nuez – Light and crunchy to chewy and substantial, you’re sure to find a nut that will make your mouth water.

• Chainsaw Carving – Watch in amazement as professional Chainsaw Carvers create unique and stunning wood pieces. A variety of product sizes are available for you to take home!
• Rhitrie Crystals – Purveyors of unique and exquisite gems, crystals, and jewelry.
• Stony Forest Gems – Stony Forest Gems creates unique and natural designs in stone, crystal, and glass.
• The Crafty Soaps – Handmade and handcrafted natural soaps, body butter, scrubs, beard oils, and loofah soaps.
• The Purple Monkey – One of a kind bejeweled and decorated unique art, gifts, and home decor. Hand tie-dyed adult and children’s apparel, including dresses and t-shirts.
• WDRingstamp – Personalized stamping on a stainless steel ring.
• Whimsical Charm – Luxe gifts for your posh tot. Specialists in luxurious embroidered baby blankets, robes, and swaddles.

 

Boysenberry Festival Dates

Taste of Boysenberry Festival runs on select days from March 5th-May 2nd: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays: March 5th-21st and April 16th-May 2nd, and Daily from March 26th-April 11th. Tickets cost $45 for adults for 5 Tastings ($40.50 if you are a Season Passholder) and $20 for children ages 3-11 for 3 Tastings ($18 for Passholders). Additional items can be purchased at each location. To purchase tickets, you can check Knott’s webpage.   

Want to see even more of the Taste of Boysenberry Festival? Well, you’re in luck. Join Dusty on a walkthrough of Knott’s for an in-depth look at what’s happening around the Farm. (Yes, we know that the audio cuts out at the end of the video, but you’ll still enjoy the view.)

Now on to some additional Knott’s News . . . 

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Prepping for Re-opening

The state of California has just adjusted theme park re-opening guidelines, which will allow parks like Knott’s and Disneyland to reopen rides as soon as April. But Knott’s has been preparing for some time. When we last saw the park for Taste of Merry Farm, it didn’t look quite as fresh as it does now. 

So much of the park has been given a new coat of paint, refurbished, or improved. We greatly appreciate the effort that’s gone into making the park look stunning.

Of course, the extra Boysenberries everywhere definitely help.

Refurbishments are plentiful, such as the new fencing around Pony Express.

Hat Dance vehicles have been removed for painting and refurbishment.

New decorative details have been added, such as this canopy of flying umbrellas in Fiesta Village. 

All around Knott’s they’ve begun preparing for guests to return. Plexiglass dividers are a common sight around attractions and have popped up in queues.

The Calico Mine Train cars now have dividers. 

Camp Snoopy had quite a few queues with frames up awaiting plexiglass.

All those square boxes above the old wooden queues will soon hold plexiglass screens. 

Some screens have already been installed and still have their protective films (which will be removed at some point).  

All the while, the new Bear-y Tales ride remains finished and ready for the go-ahead to open. But that may not be allowed with the mandate regarding restrictions to indoor rides. We’ll have to wait and see how that develops. 

To read more about the theme park opening guidelines, check out our article:

Breaking: Disneyland Reopening Guidance Revealed!!!

 

Cedar Fair 2020 Quarter 4 Earnings Call

Cedar Fair, Knott’s Berry Farm’s Parent Company, held their Quater 4 earnings call last week, prior to the state changing the theme park reopening guidelines.

Cedar Fair saw a massive decrease in revenue of 88% in 2020 compared to the 2019 operating year. As the company heads into the 2021, they remain confident in a strong recovery. Cedar Fair announced that across all their parks, combined, they currently have 1.8 Million Season Pass holders, with less than 0.5% of 2020 Season Passholder deciding to be refunded for the pass versus taking the automatic extension. All Cedar Fair parks extended their 2020 passes through the 2021 season. Knott’s Berry Farm will continue to extend passes by the number of days closed during 2021 into 2022 (and, no, they don’t count the festivals as being open for the purposes of counting valid passholder days). 

Cedar Fair is delaying their Season Opening Days in several parks to help decrease operating costs and to shift the operating season closer to their peak demand to maximize guest utilization of the parks. They also shared that some parks may need to limit the number of open days per week that they operate as well. In order for the company to break even this year, they will need to reach 50% of the 2019 attendance levels. 

In terms of the California parks, Knott’s Berry Farm has yet to announce the date they will reopen theme park attractions, but their sister park, California’s Great America, has selected a May 22nd reopening date (though it’s possible they could move that date up now that they have favorable guidance).  

 

Knott’s 100th Anniversary and Future

Knott’s Berry Farm suffered from an unfortunate start to their 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2020, as park shutdowns really prevented the campaign from getting off the ground. Knott’s had announced a large rollout of new offerings for the entire 2020 and 2021 season. Well, it’s 2021 and the park now plans on somewhat reduced offerings. Currently, there are still three events listed for Park’s Anniversary: the Launch of Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair, Knott’s Summer Nights, and a campaign called Knott’s Family Reunion (which is sort of the overall campaign name for the 100th anniversary).

Knott’s Berry Tales

Knott’s Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair is a 3-D Interactive Dark Ride that follows the story of the original Knott’s Bear-y Tales attraction over 30 years later. Knott’s Berry Farm, intended to open this attraction during the Summer Season last year, and the ride is ready to go. Knott’s hopes to open this attraction once normal park operations return.

Knott’s Summer Nights

Knott’s Berry Farm launched Summer Nights back in 2019 to enormous success. Summer Nights created a nightly Music Festival in the park between Calico Square and the Charleston Fountain consisting of three stages and constantly rotating music acts to rock the evening away. Knott’s spruced up the event with some of their delicious culinary selections, walk-around characters, and even some family games. It was one of our personal favorite events that Knott’s held in 2019 (of course after Scary Farm…and Boysenberry Festival…and Merry Farm…) and we cannot wait to Rock the Night away again!

Due to the nature of the event, it’s a pretty sure bet that some form of it will be coming this summer in one way or another. Knott’s can treat it more as a Food Festival than Music Event and space guests out over larger sections to be able to enjoy the music safely.

You can check our full review of the First Summer Nights:  Get Your S’mores On With Knott’s Summer Nights (micechat.com)

Knott’s 100th Anniversary: A Knott’s Family Reunion

The last one still a little unknown as to what the scope of the event is or what it would offer. The event description reads:

“The Knott’s Family Reunion” is a chance for friends and families to come together to relive their favorite Knott’s remembrances while also creating unforgettable, exciting new memories. Guests will be immersed in a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary celebration featuring festive park décor, themed food items, unique entertainment, exclusive merchandise, and special surprises along the way, all paying homage to the nostalgia that surrounds the historic theme park.

The Knott’s website continues to list this event as upcoming this summer, so, the 100th Anniversary will still happen, just a year later than intended. 

Knott’s Hiring Fair

For those who are interested in becoming part of Knott’s future, there might be an opportunity for you. Knott’s Berry Farm is gearing up for a virtual hiring fair on March 13th. Knott’s is looking to hire at least 1,700 new employees for various positions around the park, including Food and Beverage Associates, Cooks, Ride Operators, Merchandise, Lifeguards, Housekeeping, Parks Services, etc. Knott’s General Manager, Jon Storbeck, said: “As our community slowly reopens, we’re excited to introduce a virtual hiring day which offers a safe and informative way to connect new prospects with our hiring teams now.”  Those who are interested in a job can register at the Cedar Fair National Hiring Day event page.

Let’s hear from you in the comments below…

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