Out with the scary and in comes the merry! Knott’s Merry Farm kicked off at Knott’s Berry Farm on November 17th ( and runs through January 7th) bringing with it the warmth and essence of the holiday season. From Ghost Town, to Board Walk, and Fiesta Village; KBF has fully transformed, once again, for another season.
First, I’d like to point out that 17 days between the end of Scary Farm and the beginning of Merry Farm isn’t a lot of time! So all the people who worked endlessly to make sure the park transformed for the holiday season (on time) deserve major kudos and an extra gift from Santa! All that hard work pays off because Knott’s has a warmth during the holidays that’s simply unmatched. Especially when there’s a chill in the air, you have a cup of hot chocolate (from Santa’s Cabin), you hear the Calico Carolers, and the snow is falling upon you in Ghost Town. The magic of the holidays is truly alive at Knotts.
As with every Merry Farm (and many other seasonal events) Knott’s has rolled out a full slate of offerings for guests visiting the park during the holidays. From seasonal food offerings, new and returning entertainment offerings, and seasonal activities, there is so much that Knott’s offers that makes the value of a ticket to the park that much higher.
Let’s be honest, while the entertainment and experiences of Merry Farm are top notch, people are always interested in the food! We won’t lie, it’s the first thing on our mind when visiting for Merry Farm. And one of our first stops during our visit was to partake in one of our favorite dishes during this season and it’s the turkey balls…or as they’re called “Got to Have It”. This dish is comprised of mashed potatoes, gravy, and green bean almandine topped with a massive turkey ball. This turkey ball is stuffing with turkey in the center and deep fried with a golden brown crispy crust. It costs $14 and is worth every single penny. Especially since the dish itself is absolutely massive and could easily feed two people…unless you’re really hungry!
Other offerings this season include: Chili Cheese Footlong Hotdogs, Santa’s Pulled Pork and Onion Pizza, Rudolph’s Chicken, Artichoke, and Spinach Dip Pizza, Garlic Truffle Mayo and Mushroom Burger, Red Velvet Churro with Peppermint Bark Cream Cheese, Pumpkin Spice Cake, Gingerbread Cookies, or some simple Milk and Cookies. With each seasonal list of food, we are always thankful being season pass holders, so we can continually come back through the season and try all the tasty treats.
Merry Farm isn’t just about the food! There are tons of other fun offerings spread throughout the park. Whether you wants to decorate your own cookies in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, meet Santa himself inside Santa’s Christmas Cabin, catch one of the many different shows or peruse the Christmas Crafts Village. There is seriously something for everyone. Speaking of the Christmas Crafts Village, that is one of our favorite things to do while visiting the park. It’s a rare opportunity at a theme park to purchase unique gifts and see the skills of many people from around the SoCal area. We love watching the chainsaw artists work on large sculptures. It’s always impressive and tends to garner a large crowd of people whenever they’re hard at work.
During our visit we didn’t get to see a lot of the entertainment offerings, simply because there is so much to do during Merry Farm, but we did get to catch Home for the Holidays on the Calico Mine Stage. This show has really grown on us over the years. At first we found it rather silly and somewhat over the top. But in recent viewings, we find it charming and heart warming. As Nikki described it “it feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie in stage form”, which is an accurate description. The team at Knott’s was able to capture the essence of the season and translate that into a seriously fun and impressive show. Aside from that, the grandeur of the Home for the Holidays production is quite impressive. The scene transition from outside the Harper Family house to inside the home always get’s an audible gasp from the audience. And of course it ends in a massive snow flurry that get’s everyone out of their seats.
Aside from Home for the Holidays, you can catch A Calico Christmas Carol (new for 2023), The Gift of the Magi or the ever popular Snoopy’s Night Before Christmas Ice Show. If you plan on catching the Snoopy Ice Show, plan ahead! People wait upwards of 2 hours before the show start to get good seats. So if you want to make sure you have good seats, show up a little early with a snack in hand…just in case you get hungry. Also, make sure to download the Knott’s Berry Farm Mobile App to keep tabs on all the offerings in the park.
One of our favorite new offerings at Merry Farm this year are the interactive bubble wands (get yours for $29.99) you can find throughout the park! These wands not only create bubbles but also interact with other wands. Not only that, but throughout the park you’ll find different bubble locations that look like snowmen. Here you can activate it’s bubble machine with your bubble wand. The one caveat with this is you cannot create bubbles with your wand when interacting with the locations…but other people can still make your bubble wand create bubbles. So theoretically, if you have a large group of people with these wands, you can create chain reaction of bubble creation! We witnessed it first hand at the park and it’s a blast.
If bubble wands aren’t you’re thing, Knott’s has plenty of merchandise for the holiday season. We absolutely love their new black spirit jersey for Merry Farm and the flannel patterned jackets as well. But a CANNOT miss item is the Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken Bucket ornament or the Knott’s Boysenberry Jam Jar Ornament. It’s these special pieces of merchandise that put a smile on our face and make us pull out our wallets. Additionally, as always, Knott’s has their fantastic T-shirt and Pin combo for only $19.99. Which is the best deal in the park. Even if you’re breaking the bank for Christmas, you won’t at Knott’s for a souvenir.
As the sun sets on the Farm, the lights adorning the rides and buildings around the park turn on and really kick the holiday spirit into high gear.
This is when you can catch Snow and Glow in Ghost Town. “Every night during Merry Farm, the buildings and paths in Ghost Town’s Main Street and School House Road are accented by thousands of sparkling lights that dance to the beat of Christmas music while snow gently falls.” This is the perfect “kiss goodnight” (to use a Disney phrase) moment for a day at Merry Farm. The combination of the lights, music and the snow really captures that warmth and happiness that comes with the season. Especially for us, watching our kiddo’s eyes light up as the snow falls down on her curly hair. It’s a core memory for us and we only hope it is for her too.
OVERALL
For us, Knott’s Merry Farm is the home for the quintessential Christmas and holiday celebrations when it comes to theme park experiences. That intangible essence of the holidays is miraculously baked into every single experience. Each part of Merry Farm plays an essential role in helping create a well rounded and spirited experience for guests visiting during the holiday season. For us, Knott’s Merry Farm is simply a cannot miss seasonal event. Especially for those looking for something familiar and inviting. It feels like home, but way more fun!
IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE KNOTT’S MERRY FARM, CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR AN ANNUAL PASS
Theme Park Duo 