Knott’s Berry Farm has a celebration of the holiday season every year called Knott’s Merry Farm. The park is decorated and full of wonderful entertainment for Christmas.
This last weekend I got to experience what this year has to offer for Christmas time at Knott’s.
Ghost Town
The 75 year old wester town had the most to offer for the holidays. It’s decorated with wreaths, trim and trees for Christmas. Ghost Town Alive! characters roam around, helping guests get into the town’s celebration of Christmas. The town hall is a place to write letters to Santa and become a citizen of Ghost Town.
Calico Carolers sing tunes of the yuletide and ring bells. They appear throughout the streets of Ghost Town gathering guests to listen in and enjoy.
Christmas Crafts Village has several booths for holiday shopping. It’s a great way to grab some gifts for family and friends.
At night, lights illuminate a wonderful snowy wonderland on the streets of Calico. It tops off a great Christmas atmosphere.
Ghost Town is the focal point of Knott’s Berry Farm. It’s wonderful to see how much attention is given to it for the Christmas time. There was so much to do and see here alone.
Calico Saloon Christmas Show
The Calico Saloon was refurbished for the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town this year. The famous, or rather infamous, show gets into the holiday spirit for Merry Farm. Dakota Dan and Cameo Kate host a Christmas show on the behind the bar stage. Songs and dances fill the performance, including the Candy Cane Can-Can. It’s a modern western revue with great music and laughs.
A Peanuts Guide to Christmas
This new show takes place at Camp Snoopy Theatre. Charlie Brown and the gang go through how to survive the holidays. As pages turn in a giant book, musical numbers highlight what it’s like for all of them to go through Christmastime.
This was a great show for the whole family. The songs were fun to listen and watch. The highlight, for me, was having the focus be on the Peanuts characters, who are always a delight. There were even some sophisticated jokes that adults can pick up on while the kids can be mesmerized by the characters.
Calico Tree Lighting Ceremony
When the sun has set, Ghost Town brings its residents and guests together to take part in a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Calico Park. The Carolers kick off the show with some crooning. The rest get the crowd excited as a new contraption is rigged and switched on for the tall tree to be lit.
Previously, the tree lighting show was on the Calico Stage that was present in the same location. Now that the stage has moved, it has made way for this more intimate setting. I loved that it’s incorporated into the town’s story instead of a separate show. It tops off a great time within Ghost Town.
Food and Decoration
Over in the Wilderness Dance Hall are some delicious treats and an opportunity to get a photo with Santa. Because of that, it’s transformed into Santa’s Christmas Cabin. It’s a great location to take a breather from the rest of the park. Among the great food items are some great pastries and drinks. The boysenberry tart was one of the highlights for me. The Snoopy Santa cookie is always delicious. Roasted, candied nuts are great sweet and salty snacks to enjoy.
All around the park are great decorations to walk among. Ghost Town has traditional decor, while Camp Snoopy has some great lights. The whole park has the atmosphere to get into the winter time spirit.
Knott’s Merry Farm is one of the great experiences of the holidays. It has great entertainment (some of which I have yet to watch!) and a festive atmosphere. With a combination of a great Ghost Town Christmas festival, and an abundance of classic Peanuts characters, this is a destination for the winter time. Running from now until January 8, don’t miss this great occasion!
