Knott’s Berry Farm’s summertime festivities has started for 2023! And it’s full of even more fun than before this year!
We were able to spend a day at the park and taking in as much as we could with Ghost Town Alive!, Summer Nights, and the newly refreshed Fiesta Village.
Ghost Town Alive!
The annual interactive adventure through Calico is back again. This year features a new story and new ways to influence the outcome of the day. The bank is holding a contest for new ownership. The way to decide which character is going to end up owning the bank is through a crime spree! Guests can assist in having various characters get into this mischief, and the results are known at the end of the Ghost Town day at the Hoedown. But, also amidst some variables is a new sheriff that will be elected, and a new mayor.
It’s always fun to see what Knott’s has in store for getting guests in on the action, and this year is no different. It’s a very fun way to interact with the characters and help your favorite get to be the owner of the bank. The Hoedown is at a different time than it normally has been in the past, and that actually sets up a great way to see the rest of the summer features.
Summer Nights
The grand celebration of the nights is back! Several bands will take the stage throughout the summer to perform some great tunes and with some great food. It’s a great time to wind down or get on your feet for some fun dancing. There’s also a variety of games near the stage for kids to enjoy competing in some backyard fun.
We had a great time listening to Hiatus the day we went, and all while eating some fine food. Speaking of food, the kiosks that are full of great tasting food has spread out around the park. It’s not just near the Calico Stage, but at several eating locations.
We had several items at night which were:
- Fondue Cheese Bites
- Mom’s Chocolate Cake
- Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit Sandwich
- Mini Donuts with Strawberry Lemon Sugar
- Andouille Sausage, Red Beans, and Rice
- Blue Cheese and Bacon Cheeseburger Slider
- Chimichurri Hot Link Sausage
- Blueberry Celebration Cake
- Chicken, Pesto, and Sun-dried Tomato Flatbread
Among the items, our favorites were the Mom’s Chocolate Cake and the Blue Cheese Bacon Slider. The Slider was not so much a slider but pretty much a full burger! It was grilled right in front of us and had a great combination of tastes to it. It, and the others at the Grillin’ Time kiosk, are only available on select nights. The Chocolate Cake had a nice balance of vanilla cake and chocolate frosting that was creamy and moist. It also wasn’t that the other items were terrible, it was that these stuck out to us the most. A close second to the burger was the flatbread pizza with excellent pesto and great crust.
This year, some of the items are also available on the dining plan, which makes them a somewhat full meal. For example, the Hot Honey Sandwich also came with fries making it a full meal. That version was also what we got with the tasting card (and is found at the Wilderness Broiler). This gives a great variety of ways to find the food and also the combos you can get.
With it being at several locations, it’s good to bring patience because they make a lot of the food fresh. It does make it even more tasty this way. Also, some of the items on the tasting card are available during the day at the redone Fiesta Village!
Fiesta Village
We did get a preview night of the freshly refurbished area and you can find the post about it here. However, there were some things we didn’t get to fully see during the night. One was the new Casa California counter service. There you can grab a burrito or bowl, or snack on some chips and assorted dips. The burrito and bowls are part of the dining plan, as well. Over in the main village area is a delightful storyteller that invites children onto the stage with him while he tells tales from heritage past. We witnessed just how engulfed kids were with the story and when they were able to participate with some fun props. It’s a great break in the day for families with younger children, or even just to be entertained by a great master storyteller!
Knott’s For a Day
As much as we did, there was not enough time to do everything at Knott’s. We did get to see the musical Cameo Kate’s Burle-Q Review at the Birdcage Theater. But, we didn’t get to see the hilarious Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. Nor did we even go on any rides! That is all to describe that this summer’s trip to Knott’s Berry Farm can easily be extended to two days. That might be just on food alone! The summer will conclude September 4, so be sure to catch it all before it’s over!
