Recently, we got the chance to attend the preview event for Knott’s Berry Farm’s upcoming Boysenberry Festival. Starting March 18th, park guests will be delighted by new food offerings, shows, merchandise, and other various entertainment opportunities throughout the park. As per the usual with the park preview events, a big focus is food and merch. So, we showed up with stomachs full of nothing but hopes and boysenberry dreams, and excitedly awaited the start of the event.
Now, not EVERYTHING is available for tasting at these preview events. Knott’s Berry Farm usually picks a select group of items from the menu for us to sample and this event was no different. Personally, I really wanted to try the boysenberry corndog with boysenberry mustard but, alas, it was not meant to be this evening. Upon walking into the Wilderness Dancehall, I was delighted to see boysenberry colored decorations and lighting setup. This venue is so versatile – from being the location of a Knott’s Scary Farm maze in October to being a fantastic Christmas house during the Merry Farm and, yes, even the epicenter of a boysenberry tasting event.
There was a long table on the elevated platform where Santa usually sits during Knott’s Merry Farm. Of course, there was no Santa here today, unless you think of the park as Santa and the gifts being delicious flavor. The first sample I tried was the mashes potatoes and meatballs with boysenberry barbeque sauce. This floored me – it was such an outstanding treat: Savory, sweet, and salty all in one. After that, we got to try the chicken dumplings with boysenberry wanton and teriyaki sauce on a bed of fried rice. I really liked this dish but my traveling companion did not so much. They said the boysenberry conflicted with the savory nature of the offering. I thought it enhanced it – so is the subjectivity of food reviews!
Then it was time to get to the beverage counter. There were several options, but I was not a big fan of the boysenberry horchata. The flavors just didn’t flow together well for my liking. It was milky but the boysenberry provided the wrong kind of sweetness. I did, however, really enjoy the deconstructed lemonade with blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries. It was just a blast of freshness. Additionally, I give high marks to both the boysenberry hefeweizen beer and seltzer. Either choice is sure to refresh you on your day at the park. As always, enjoy responsibly – they’re so tasty, it might not be that difficult to over-indulge!
Over at the merchandise counter, there were all sorts of items on display. Shirts, boysenberry coffee, coffee cups, jams, jellies, and a whole lot more. I have a feeling that there will be plenty to purchase during your trip to the Boysenberry Festival this year. Personally, I will be bringing home several bags of coffee from the event when we come back for the full Boysenberry Festival experience on March 19th.
During our preview event, we did not get to see any plans for shows or other activities but there are usually several and I’m excited to see what they are. The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival runs from March 18th through April 24th. On a side note, I can’t believe it’s March already! Looking at the Knott’s events calendar, next up on the list after the Boysenberry Festival is Summer Nights from May 20th through September 5th and then… Scary Farm! 2022 has been flying by so far. Be sure to check out our photo gallery from the preview event below!
