The first annual Knott’s Peanuts Celebration is underway at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA. Bridging the gap between the “Merry Farm” and the “Boysenberry Festival”, the Peanuts Celebration celebrates exactly that: The Peanuts Gang and their contribution to the park’s identity over the years.
Walking into Knott’s Berry Farm on a cool Southern California Winter’s day, I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple photo booth/opportunities setup for guests to enjoy. The placement, being so close to the entrance, did make the area somewhat crowded, but it passed quickly as I waled into Ghost Town. While park makeovers like the Merry Farm and Scary Farm are pretty invasive, the Peanuts Celebration decor is much more minimal, but still a lot of fun. You will see kites stuck in trees, several photo opportunity booths, new Peanuts Celebration signage, and more. The livery stable in Ghost Town has been transformed into “PigPen’s Pigpen” where you can see some livestock as well as take photos with Pig-Pen – who was never featured as a character in the park until now!
The Calico Mine Stage features two different shows – one in the daytime called “Music Goes Round and Round” with Sally and Schroeder, and one in the evening called “Woodstock’s Musical Festival” which has the whole gang joining in the fun. One really cool offering in Ghost Town was over att the Bird Cage Theatre, where you could learn to draw your favorite Peanuts characters and watch Peanuts specials during downtime. What used to the be the fan-favorite Halloween Haunt Museum has been transformed into “Inside Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz” and is a sort of Peanuts museum, going into their creation and evolution over the decades.
Making my way into the Boardwalk, I happened upon several members of the Peanuts gang riding on a small trolley, waving at the kids as they passed by. I am not sure where they were going, but the trolley was cool. I also got the chance to check out some of the new Peanuts Celebration-themed snacks and deserts that Knott’s has made for the event…. Man they are tasty treats – my favorite being the Charlie Brownies. You can check out some of the offerings in the photo gallery below but, rest assured, if you like sweets you won’t be disappointed! Fiesta Plaza, a sometimes underused area of the park, is now home to the “Lucy and Sally’s Fiesta Fantasy” musical show. Camp Snoopy, as one would guess, has had a huge amount of extra stuff added for the kids. From new area decor to the kid-sized Grand Sierra Railroad makeover, and even a big stage show at the Camp Snoopy Theatre called “Lucy and Charlie Brown’s Balancing Act”, it’s a lot of fun.
Of course, along with all this, you still can enjoy the normal stuff that Knott’s Berry Farm has to offer. The park’s upcoming roller coaster, Hang Time, is track-finished and looks pretty has a very impressive silhouette in the Boardwalk skyline. Also, the weather is playing rather nicely right now in Southern California – warmer than you’d expect for Winter but also with plenty of cooler days, making it a great time to visit the park.
Overall, the Knott’s Peanuts Celebration is a terrific time – especially for the kids, and runs on weekends from January 27 through February 25, 2018, plus Presidents’ Day. The best part is that there is no extra fee to attend the celebration – all those extras are included with your regular park ticket. Knott’s Berry Farm is open most every day and you can find hours of operation, ticket purchasing info, and more over at their official website.
Photo Gallery
