Knott’s Boysenberry Festival

By Erin

*We were given media passes to the festival for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own*

It’s my favorite time of year at Knott’s! Time for Knott’s Boysenberry Festival!! It’s back and bigger than ever, beginning March 18th and extending daily through April 24th.

The festival features more than two dozen new boysenberry food and drink creations, an expansive selection of entertainment and fun activities for the whole family.

The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is an annual food-inspired event that celebrates the park’s historic roots by highlighting the little berry that started it all, the boysenberry. Folks will have the opportunity to indulge in a tantalizing lineup of dishes ranging from savory foods with a boysenberry twist to one-of-a-kind specialty desserts and drinks that can only be found at Knott’s Berry Farm during this time of the year. In addition to the numerous food and drink offerings, the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of local crafters, live music, musical stage shows and fun activities for guests of all ages to enjoy. The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival runs a full extra week this year starting March 18th, operating daily through April 24, 2022. This year’s event will introduce entirely new food offerings featuring a selection of more than two dozen food and drink items.

A few new items to note include:

• Crab Sushi Roll with a Boysenberry Aioli
• Chicken Dumplings with a Boysenberry Wonton and a Teriyaki Dipping Sauce
• All-Beef Meatballs in a Boysenberry BBQ Sauce on Mashers

• Boysenberry Horchata
• Chicken Cordon Bleu with a Boysenberry Cheese Sauce
• Trio of Sausage with Peppers and Onions on Boysenberry Polenta
• Spring Fling Salad with Shrimp and a Boysenberry Vinaigrette

• Boysenberry Filled Donut Open Faced Chicken Sandwich with an Aioli Drizzle
• Deconstructed Lemonade with Blackberries, Loganberries, and Red Raspberries
• Boysenberry Rocky Road Brownie
• Boysenberry Pie Bars
• Boysenberry Slushy Mudslide (alcoholic)

• Boysenberry Seltzer
• Prosecco with Hibiscus and Boysenberry
• Boysenberry Sweet Tea with Vodka

Boysenberry Colossal Creations

*Monster Boysenberry Pulled Pork and Slaw Sandwich topped with Onion Rings.

• Boy O Boy, Now That’s a Cookie! Jumbo Chocolate Cookie Deep Fried with Boysenberry Jam and Ice Cream.

*Grande Nacho with Chilli, Cheese, Avocado, Sour Cream, Jalapenos, and a Boysenberry Salsa.

A great way to indulge in the new boysenberry food items during the festival is by purchasing a tasting card priced at $50 (or $45 for season pass holders). The tasting card will offer six tastings from a selection of 25 boysenberry-inspired dishes and drinks. A variety of signature boysenberry items will also be available for purchase a la carte. Tasting cards are available at Knotts.com or at the theme park. Guests can also create over 75 unique boysenberry-inspired creations with limited edition merchandise found throughout the park. This year’s new merchandise includes a selection of packaged food items perfect for take-home souvenirs like the new boysenberry microbrew BBQ sauce, boysenberry crème brulé coffee, boysenberry brownie cookies, boysenberry pepper bacon spread and boysenberry balsamic grilling glaze. The Berry Market, located in the California Marketplace, also features signature boysenberry items like the refreshing boysenberry sarsaparilla and their classic jams and preserves. Unique boysenberry-inspired artisan products will also be available at the Boysenberry Festival Craft Fair returning with 30 local craft vendors. Each crafter features its own boysenberry-themed items. Knott’s Boysenberry Festival also offers endless entertainment throughout the park. From musical performances to fun interactive games, there is something for every member of the family to enjoy.

• Guests are invited to join Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts Gang in the musical stage show Snoopy’s Boysenberry Jamboree! The show is sure to have families dancing and singing along at the Calico Mine Stage
• Knott’s pays tribute to its past at the legendary Bird Cage Theatre with a special presentation of the brand-new comedy melodrama, Riverboat Revenge. All aboard for this boysenberry bon voyage!
• Get in on the fun with some of the craziest and messiest games in Calico. Try your berry best in our Boysenberry Fun and Games, including the wildly entertaining Boysenberry Pie Eating Contest.

• Young ones and young at heart are invited to cozy up to the cutest critters on the farm, including horses, sheep, goats and other furry friends. Old MacDonald’s Barn pays tribute to one of the farm’s original attractions.
• A classic returns! Travel back to the ’80s as you dance the night away to the decade’s best songs at Knott’s Totally Tubular 80’s Dance Party.
• Pull up a chair as our blues trio, the Boysenberry Blues, conjures up some of the smoothest tunes performing at the Boardwalk BBQ patio.
• You can also grab a seat (and a plate!) at Fireman’s BBQ, where various musical duos take the stage with a selection of bluegrass and country tunes, they will have your toes a-tappin’ and your hands a clappin’!
• Enjoy the sounds from South of the Border in Fiesta Village as the Mariachi Angelitas present a lively show filled with rich history and tradition.
• Grab a slice of history in the museum History of the Boysenberry dedicated to the berry that started it all! The Boysenberry Festival is included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm or with a special Knott’s Hotel Boysenberry Package that includes overnight accommodations steps from the park, a tasting card, parking and more. Additional costs apply for food tasting experiences within the event. Knott’s will have extended hours on select days March 18 – April 24, allowing guests extra time to take advantage of the limited-time offerings. The best way to savor every day of the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival and all of the other Seasons of Fun is with a 2022 Season Pass! Get unlimited visits, food and merchandise discounts, plus so much more! For more information about Knott’s Berry Farm, please visit knotts.com or download the Knott’s Berry Farm app for your smartphone. Join the conversation using the hashtag #BoysenberryFestival

What Boysenberry Festival Foods are you most looking forward to this year? I want to try it all! 😉