Summer nights in Southern California are often times for outdoor concerts, fairs, and parties. The daytime heat can often stifle such things, so the relatively cooler evenings bristle with life. Knott’s Berry Farm has opted to take advantage of this and created the aptly named Knott’s Summer Nights event series. Knott’s Summer Nights allows guests to enjoy live bands, fun games, and special treats without any add-on ticket price. We got the opportunity to check out their media preview night last week and experience it all, first-hand. You can check out the full schedule of Summer Nights bands over at the Knott’s website.
Not knowing exactly what to expect from the park in this event, we arrived at our scheduled check-in time and entered the Calico Ghost Town region of the park. On the way, we looked over some of the Knott’s Summer Nights photo ops and signage, and then kept on forward. Ghost Town seemed relatively untouched, although Knott’s Ghost Town Alive event decorations is out in full force. If you haven’t checked out Ghost Town Alive before, I highly recommend it – but, I digress. We reached the Calico stage area and were treated to a fun sight: There were a plethora of seats and fire pits setup in front of the stage as well as special Knott’s Summer Nights food carts lining the walkways. The fact that Knott’s Berry Farm had the moxie to trust their guests with open flames was a gamble well-taken. Guests can roast marshmallows and make s’mores or just keep warm while enjoying the live music. During our visit, we saw a number of live bands grace the stage – each with its own style of music.
The food carts had various fair style foods – churros, ice cream sandwiches, and more. We tried several of the dishes and, overall, thought they were tasty. Knott’s does sell a tasting card that will give you samples of many dishes if you don’t want to pay per item. The park has various characters walking around interactive with guests and dancing in front of the stage to let people know it’s alright to do so. Of course, the rest of Knott’s Berry Farm is still up and running during the Knott’s Summer Nights event – so you can ride all your favorite attractions like the Calico Mine Ride, Ghostrider, etc. as well as dine at any of the park’s usual eateries.
Be sure to checkout the newly revamped Calico River Rapids ride during your visit. The new animatronics as well as interactive elements are a total hoot. Knott’s Berry Farm has created a fun and enjoyable event with Knott’s Summer Nights – especially for no added cost to the regular ticket price. Knott’s Summer Nights runs from June 7 to August 11, 2019. Ticket information and more can be found at Knott’s Berry Farm’s official website.
