Knott’s Summer Nights at Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Summer Nights (June 7th – August 11th) is the all new addition, to the already impressive lineup of events throughout the year at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. As many of its events do, it takes great food, drinks and entertainment and wraps it up in a package only Knott’s can provide.

“The summer adventure continues long after the sun goes down, with an all-new nighttime summer party that will liven up the night. Guests can enjoy a variety of bands that rotate at the Calico Park stage nightly, rock out to a top 40’s band at the Calico Mine Stage or bop to beats of the Boardwalk DJ around Charleston Circle Fountain. A summer night party is not complete without an abundance of food and drinks, and no theme park does food quite like Knott’s. Seasonal flavors collide as the Knott’s culinary team creates tasty twists to classic summer favorites. With a hub of live music, unique summer food offerings, Instagram-able photo opportunities, interactive experiences, and family-friendly games, Knott’s Summer Nights will be an event to remember.”

Don’t get us wrong, we are fully aware of the capabilities of other SoCal theme parks, we are just saying (in our humble opinions) that Knott’s always has an atmosphere and energy to their events that is something completely unique to Knotts Berry Farm.

As you walk through the classic Ghost Town, the air is still filled with a palpable energy from all the excitement created by that day’s Hoedown from Ghost Town Alive. Once you hit the midway (area between Calico Square and Board Walk) you have hit party central! Within this area are games, food, drinks and entertainment. Unlike other events at Knott’s where most of the offerings are spread throughout the park, these are all centralized in this one area. This can be good or bad, just depends on the crowds.

In front of the main stage, Knott’s has set up picnic tables and fire pits for everyone to enjoy their food and even partake in marshmallow roasting. Needless to say, this area filled up fast! Families really seemed to enjoy themselves sitting around the fire pits and enjoying the cool summer night.

We actually love the vibe and tone of this event so much. The relaxed laid back atmosphere mixed with amazing food and drinks while listening to good music really makes this feel like a block party or backyard BBQ on steroids. Capturing the feeling of quintessential americana experiences and applying it to the event. They even have the “block party committee” which is made up of wacky and zany characters, such as Duncan Disorderly!

A huge part of Knott’s events is the food. Everyone is always curious on what they will “cook” up next! Although the food selections at Knott’s Summer Nights aren’t adventurous like many of the foods from events past, it doesn’t detract from the event.

Knott’s has taken fan favorite fare that is already well loved in the park, and some new items, and put a spin on them so they feel more suited for an outdoor bbq. Chili bowls, boysenberry sausages, and  boysenberry cookiewhichs are just a few of the options. Like many of the food events, Knott’s offers a tasting card so you can try more items for a cheaper price. For 8 tasting tabs, you pay $35 dollars! If you like to try many different types of food, this is the option for you!

As always, Knott’s has great entertainment for its events. Although I didn’t find anyone of the music acts having me stop in my tracks to watch. But I don’t think this is necessarily the goal. Each and every one of the acts brought a specific style and flavor to the party. It’s almost as though your friends have control of the radio and keep switching the station, just in a much less annoying way. Regardless of style, the music brought every bit of Summer Nights together with wonderful atmosphere. It’s that electricity in the air that is extremely hard to replicate.

OVERALL

Knott’s has another winner on its hands with Knott’s Summer Nights. What could usually be a slow time at the farm, has now turned into the block party of the century! In future years, I would love to see this expanded or even moved entirely. I personally feel as though having a block party style event halfway between Calico and Boardwalk feels rather odd. I know the reasoning behind this decision, I just prefer the Boardwalk lighting and atmosphere and think it would add a lot to the event as a whole. As mentioned, I would like to see this expanded. The area where the food is currently located is not a huge footprint, so when large crowds come in, there really aren’t many places for them to go which could cause line back ups at the different stands. In the grand scheme of things, these are minor gripes and observations concerning the overall successful event that is Summer Nights. As a first year event, capturing the correct tone is difficult and they succeeded! Simply put, if you like good food, drinks and good times; Knott’s Summer Nights is the perfect place to be!!!

To buy your tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm, make sure to visit their website to learn how you can experience Knott’s Summer Nights first hand. The event runs from June 7th – August 11th, DON’T MISS OUT!