Knott’s Merry Farm is a huge festive time of the year, and this year brings some new merriment to the farm. We got to partake in the park’s offerings for a day, and we just scratched the surface.
Right away we proceeded to Camp Snoopy to view the new show, “Best Wishes.” Charlie Brown and the gang try to discover how to go about Christmas in a very meaningful show. Snoopy and the gang sing and dance as they inspire everyone to consider others during the Christmas time. It was an entertainingly inspiring show for the whole family.
At the Birdcage Theater, The Christmas Carol and The Gift of the Magi are performed throughout the day. Though both are not new to the park, they include some enhanced sets and effects. We watched The Christmas Carol on the classic stage. It was a wonderful performance with a terrific ensemble! The projection effects did add to the show to make it more mesmerizing than it’s been.
Over at the Walter Knott Theater is the new ice skating show to celebrate 40 years of Snoopy on ice. “Snoopy’s Night Before Christmas” features Peanuts characters and some great feats of ice performance by world class skaters! It is an energetic display of some great skating and even aerial displays. It is not to be missed in a visit to Merry Farm! It also lived up to the history of having the Peanuts gang skating along to some great performers.
We also went to view many of the classic elements of the Merry Farm experience. Carolers travel throughout Ghost Town to share some holiday songs. The Christmas Crafts Village has a wide assortment of items that are perfect for shopping for those Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers.
At night are some experiences that really bring the holiday spirit to heart. One of them is the park lighting that not only lights the Christmas Tree in Calico Square, but also much of the lights around the park. It is a magical sight to start off the evening. Shortly following that is the Glow and Snow in Ghost Town. Snow flurries fill the air as music dances around guests with a wintery experience.
“Home for the Holidays” is a show that has become a mainstay for the holiday season at Knott’s. And it’s a very welcome mainstay at that. It’s a big stage show with some great singing and dancing to give that old town Christmas feeling. And then there’s the great Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies who put on the Hillbilly Holiday Spectacular. They are in great form to have the audience clap their hands and even dance a bit with some bluegrass and rock style Christmas ballads!
This is much of what we experienced at this year’s first weekend of Knott’s Merry Farm, but the amazing thing is that it’s just about half the entertainment available at the park! And we didn’t even touch the rides at all! Plus there is Santa’s Christmas Cabin to take in some treats and visit the jolly man himself! It definitely takes more than a day to get through everything there is to do (plus some great food). It would be easy to spend two days at the park to really get through the rides and entertainment. But, I highly recommend more than that. I really enjoy Merry Farm every year and it is an immersive experience to see how decked out the park is. This year shows they continue to have it grow and expand, and I think well worth the trip!
