Knott’s Berry Farm, in our eyes, is quickly becoming the destination for unique themed and holiday offerings. From the Grand Daddy of all Haunts, Knott’s Scary Farm to Knott’s Boysenberry Festival; there is always something perfect to do throughout the year! Unfortunately in the past, during the months of January and February, there really wasn’t much other than just our regular Knott’s Berry Farm (which is perfect in it’s own right). The folks at Knott’s have now created an event to fill that gap during these months and its the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration!

“Knott’s Berry Farm will kick off its 2018 Seasons of Fun with the addition of the all-new Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters. Guests can step inside the pages of a Charles M. Schulz comic strip as the PEANUTS characters take over the entire park for the first time. PEANUTS inspired decor and comic strip elements will provide the perfect animated backdrop for your fun Instagram pics. New character experiences, activities, live entertainment, and deliciously themed-treats will top off this whimsical celebration.”

It’s actually rather hard to believe that it has taken this long for the beloved characters of the Peanuts cartoon to have their own special event at the Farm. After having experienced everything they have to offer, the event just feels so perfect. Below you will find out what we thought about the offerings at Knott’s for the Peanuts Celebration.  To find out more, head on over to Knotts.com for any and all information regarding Knott’s Berry Farm!

BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THE REVIEW, CLICK PLAY ON THIS VIDEO AND LOOP IT! IT WILL SET THE MOOD FOR THIS EVENT!

At the front entrance of the park, you will find four fun photo ops along with  Snoopy, the Beagle himself! These are all so fun and give such life to the entrance of the park. I can’t count how many times I saw happy families taking silly photos together with Snoopy kissing them or acting as if they are stealing the football away from Charlie Brown.

PIG PEN AND THE LIVERY STABLE

“Don’t mind the mess, folks, it’s just the newest member of the Peanuts Gang to arrive at Knott’s – Pig Pen! That’s right, everyone’s favorite messy pal can be found right in Ghost Town – he’s ready to take a selfie with you! Plus, meet some of his animal friends right in the barn.”

Pig Pen, another incredibly imaginative character from the mind of Charles Schulz is for the FIRST TIME available for a photo opportunity. But not without having Snoopy photo bomb all the excited guests!

Of course, it wouldn’t be Pig Pen’s Pig Pen without PIGS!

These adorable and stinky bundles of joy are set along side Brutus the Donkey and some of Knotts’ Horses. I’ve said it a million times, and I will say it again. I think it’s awesome that Knott’s keeps this type of entertainment in the park. There is something about seeing live animals that you can touch and learn about that makes the experience that much more special. For kids and adults alike, I never saw a single person leave the Livery Stable without a smile after seeing these cuties.

Right down the way from the Livery Stable is the Bird Cage Theater where you can find the Sketch School!

SKETCH SCHOOL

“Grab a pen and let our resident art teacher show you how to draw your favorite Peanuts Characters. When class is dismissed stick around for a special showing of the classic Peanuts television specials.”

Very similar to the Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure, the Sketch School allows you to draw your own version of the Peanut’s characters and take it home as a keep sake. Even the gentleman who was helping us learn how to draw these characters looked oddly familiar.

What I particularly loved about this experience was how informative it was about the Peanut’s characters and their creator, Charles Schulz. At every step the teacher continually provided us with neat insight and information on how and why the characters were drawn in their unique way.

 

PEANUTS COWBOY JAMBOREE

“Franklin and Linus have gone cowboy! With their new friend Sidesaddle McGee, they’re ready to challenge you with some of the rootinest, tootinest games this side of Calico. Race a Stick Horse, Bowl a Cactus or test your mettle in a game of horseshoes, just watch out for snakes!”

With the amount of time I had during the day, and the amount of entertainment offerings Knott’s has for this event; I spent the least amount of time at this particular piece of entertainment. It really isn’t targeting my age range nor is it something I can see myself participating in. With that being said, every time I passed by this area, there was another game going on and it was packed. Kids seem to mob poor Franklin and Linus to join in on the fun.

I also liked that Franklin got some more face time with guests. It may just be me, but I feel like I don’t see enough of him!

 

PEANUTS BALANCING ACT

“Camp Snoopy, the home of the Peanuts Gang, presents an all-new show just in time for the Festival! Finally, the age old question will be answered – how many Blockheads does it take to kick a football?!”

Over in Camp Snoopy, you will find Charlie Brown and Lucy learning all about how to balance exercise and video games. This is another show I didn’t hang around that long for, but what I did see what actually really funny. There is some fun guest interaction that is incorporated into the show that’s all in good fun.

 

TRIP TO BEAGLE BONANZA: GRAND SIERRA RAILROAD

“Climb aboard a kid sized train for a journey with the Peanuts Gang! Everyone’s headed to the Beagle Bonanza and you won’t want to miss a minute. As you take a leisurely trip around Reflection Lake you’ll see the Peanuts Gang getting ready for the trip and before you know it you’ll be smack dab in the middle of the Beagle Bonanza itself!”

This may be a kids ride, but I find it so charming and fun. In recent years, its been getting lots of love and attention for many of the events and celebrations. This was one of my favorite attractions at the Peanuts Celebration, simply because of its inclusion of so many Peanuts characters and it’s incredible charm.

Every single piece that was added to this ride for Peanuts Celebration feels like it jumped right off the cartoon strips.

 

THE MUSIC GOES ‘ROUND AND AROUND

“Sally, Schroeder and Snoopy welcome their new friends Brandon and Karin for a retrospective of music that will have you dancing in the aisles, literally!”

Of all the entertainment offerings, this was my least favorite. But what do I know because all the kids were dancing along with the music and having a blast. I just like to think that most of the offerings at any of the Knott’s events are entertaining for the whole family, but I guess that can’t always be the case. Overall, even though it wasn’t my particular cup of tea, I saw tremendous value in such a large stage show taking place right in the middle of the day.

 

PEANUTS FIESTA FANTASY

“Take a journey south of the Border as Sally and Lucy are introduced to the colorful dancing of Mexico. Lively music and traditional costumes enhance this fun show!”

This was single handedly my favorite piece of entertainment the entire day. I absolutely loved watching all the kids and even adults learn about the culturally accurate Mexican dances. This had the perfect amount of education and entertainment.

Big kudos to the costume designs for Lucy and Sally! They were very cute and I loved seeing them in themed costumes for the area. I feel like if they were just in their regular clothes, it wouldn’t have been as good. Glad that all the details were looked at when planning this great show in Fiesta Village. Also, Sergio was perfect!

 

INSIDE PEANUTS: A TRIBUTE TO CHARLES M. SCHULZ

The Town Hall in Ghost Town was utilized to tell the story of Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts characters we have all come to know and love. As you look around the room, you find interesting pieces about some of our favorite characters. As well as a fun video showcasing Charles Schulz himself drawing and talking about the characters.

This is a perfect place to take a break from crowds or the heat. While you relax, you can take a moment to truly appreciate the man who’s behind it all.

WOODSTOCK’S MUSICAL FESTIVAL

“The Peanuts Gang have joined family-friendly band “The Jelly of the Month Club” for a high energy rock concert perfect for the whole gang. Fun music, great atmosphere and the Peanuts Gang, featuring Charlie Brown, Lucy and more collide for a rockin’ good time you won’t soon forget.”

The end of the night is capped with two great performances by the family friendly band, The Jelly of the Month Club. They are also accompanied by Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Snoopy!

The Jelly of the Month Club brought their own unique family friendly sound to Calico. From first hand experience, the kids loved these guys! There were a lot of songs that I even found myself tapping my foot along with and giggling at the silly lyrics.

The highlight of the entire show was the creation of Jimi Houndrix! Can we please have a stuffed animal of Snoopy dressed as this?!

 

THE FOOD

Knott’s, with every season, continually creates unique food offerings for all it’s events. When attending a Knott’s Berry Farm event, you know there will be fun and tasty treats to have all day long. I am always impressed with the continued fun and creative food items available in the park.

IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, SKIP THIS SECTION. IT WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE!

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

THE MERCHANDISE

The merchandise for this event is on the smaller side, but that is totally understandable since this is the very first year of the event. At least there was a hat and shirt to purchase. I guess there really isn’t room for too much complaining since there is Peanuts merchandise for sale all year round!

If possible, next year, I would love to see shirts made up for the Grand Sierra Railroad! I would rock a Beagle Bonanza shirt any day of the week!

OVERALL

For a first year event, I think the Knott’s Peanut Celebration is an incredible success. It’s filled with so much quality entertainment, tasty treats and heart warming photo opportunities. As someone who grew up watching and reading Peanuts cartoons, it brought a smile to my face to see so many of the Peanuts characters being utilized and incorporated into the event. There is something so special about giving a huge hug to Snoopy while the Vince Guaraldi music plays in the background. If there is anything I would like to change about the event, I would love to see Vince Guaraldi get some time in the light because of his contribution of the incredible Peanuts Theme.

The Knott’s Peanut Celebration is a perfect addition to Knotts’ already stellar line up of seasonal events and offerings. All of these characters fit so well within the parks themes that it felt like all of the shows and photo opportunities belong and have always been there. This is testament to the longevity of the characters as well as the incredible art direction of the Knott’s staff.  I am so happy to finally see the Peanuts characters take the lime light, which they deserve.

The Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration will take place weekends starting January 27 through February 25, 2018, plus Presidents’ Day. Admission is included with a regular park admission ticket or a 2018 Knott’s Season Pass.