ILoveRides Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) Every year during the holidays Knott’s Berry Farm transforms into Knott’s “Merry” Farm and gets decked out with holiday decorations, food, merchandise, and entertainment. TPR was there on Saturday with David and Spears to see all of this year’s seasonal offerings. Check out our full report below! We’re at Knott’s to see all the Christmas offerings for the 2013 holiday season! Poinsettias surround the Ghost Town sign. Beautiful Christmas flowers are planted all throughout the Ghost Town. All the shops and buildings are sporting their holiday attire. Wreaths, bows, ornaments, and lights all add to the holiday atmosphere. But we didn’t stay in Ghost Town long because we were heading straight to the Charles M. Schulz Theatre to check out “It’s Christmas, Snoopy!” This ice show has become a Southern California tradition, running for over 20 years at Knott’s. Spears and I make a point to see it every year! And it of course stars Snoopy! Here he is getting ready to plug in the lights on his dog house. The show has funny moments... Great costuming... Appearances by several Peanuts characters... Snoopy always gets a kiss! And it wouldn’t be an ice show without figure skaters. The skaters do a great job. And some of their moves are VERY impressive! Who knew that Snoopy was such a good skater? Live birds fly over the audience in the show’s finale. And it snows throughout the theater. Take a bow, Snoopy! This show is great - don’t miss it if you attend Merry Farm. (Be sure to check the schedule to make sure it’s playing on the day you attend) The bottom floor of the theater exits into a shop with lots of Merry Farm merchandise for sale. Here’s this year’s event t-shirt - it’s so cute! You can buy Snoopy stockings for your fireplace mantel. Spears’ favorite item was this Snoopy Jack-in-the-box. (Imagine a music box melody playing over this picture) Pop! The new Boardwalk area is celebrating a “California Christmas.” The decorations in this area have a retro car theme. I love the graphic feel of these banners. Very cool! A “Season’s Greetings” sign in front of the brand new signage for Sky Cabin and Wipe Out. Even the midway games are offering holiday prizes. Over in Fiesta Village, Windseeker is almost completely disassembled now in preparation for its move to Worlds of Fun. I know reviews for this ride were mixed, but I will miss it! Best of luck to it in its quest for stronger winds in Missouri! Spears couldn’t get enough of these Jack-in-the-boxes! Every time she saw one around the park she made a point to set it off. Over in Calico Square Spears got in trouble for smiling. So remember - no smiling in Calico Square! The Calico Railroad is looking spiffy for Christmas. New for 2013 is “Christmas On Engine 41.” Onboard the train there are several characters who entertain guests and sing Christmas songs during the ride. The Christmas Crafts Village returns to Ghost Town this year. Local artists and artisans sell their creations in pop-up shops throughout the town. Some also create the artwork live, right in front of your eyes. New this year is “Santa’s Christmas Cabin” in the Wilderness Dance Hall. In the cabin you can meet and get your photo with Santa, as well as sample and purchase all sorts of delicious food and drinks. Here’s Spears sampling the new Berry Market jams and syrups. It’s nice to see Knott’s getting back into making their own preserves. According to Knott’s, they’re “made in the home-style tradition - in small batches and with fresh fruits cooked quickly to capture their smooth, sweet flavor.” According to me, they’re delicious! My favorite is the strawberry syrup - it was so good that I bought a bottle! There are Christmas decorations set up throughout the cabin. It was a nice, warm atmosphere, and was a great escape from the cold weather outside. Lots of decorations. Hi Santa! I've been good, I swear! Some foods were available for free sampling, such as candied nuts, caramelized apples, and the berry market jams and syrups. Others were available for purchase, such as these chocolate covered strawberries... Cookies and milk... In addition to regular cookies, milk, and eggnog, they even had vegan and gluten-free cookies, and vegan eggnog! Spears and I are both vegan, so this was such a cool surprise for us! A+ to Knott’s for going out of their way to try to ensure that there’s something for everyone! (And spoiler alert - if you’re vegan or eat a gluten-free diet, we’ve heard some rumors that there may be some very good news coming from Knott’s in the coming months. Stay tuned for that!) The public seemed to really like the Christmas Cabin, and how could you not with festive decorations and yummy treats all around? There was chocolate cake... A build-your-own-sundae bar... And for the adults there were port wine and craft beer tastings. There was also coffee and hot chocolate which could be spiked with Baileys or Kahlua. We really liked the Christmas Cabin and hope it becomes a Christmas tradition at Knott’s. Next up we headed to the Bird Cage Theatre for a performance of, “A Christmas Carol.” It wouldn’t be “A Christmas Carol” without Scrooge! The acting was great in the play. I liked that the play wasn’t overdone with music or effects. A few simple lighting changes, a live piano player, and great actors is all it takes. We definitely recommend seeing this too when you attend Merry Farm. Plus you get to meet the cast afterwards. Once night falls you can appreciate all the white Christmas lights that adorn the buildings of Ghost Town. We heard a chainsaw and thought a lone Haunt monster might have been confused and not known that Halloween was over, but it turned out the noise was coming from this wood carver who creates intricate wood sculptures. Here’s a sample of what he was making. If you need to find a unique Christmas gift, the Christmas Crafts Village has lots of unique things you might not find elsewhere. Even if you aren’t looking for anything specific, it’s fun just browsing the Christmas decorated shops and stands of Ghost Town. It was nearing time for the big tree lighting ceremony, so we headed to Calico Square. Jeff Tucker came on stage to introduce four celebrities who would do a special reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Jeff introduced Olivia Holt from the Disney XD series “Kickin' It.” Bailee Madison from ABC’s “Trophy Wife.” Kelli Berglund from the Disney XD series “Lab Rats.” And China Anne McClain from the Disney Channel sitcom “A.N.T. Farm.” The four celebrities took turns reading. Afterward the tree lighting show began. This show happens every night at Merry Farm. The show features elves, toy soldiers, snowmen, and many more characters. There’s humor... Of course Snoopy stops by. The elves give Snoopy a sneak peak of his Christmas present. I wonder what it could be? There’s dancing... And even Santa joins in on the fun. A family is invited on stage to help flip the switch and light the giant Christmas tree. Yay! Spears even got to meet some of the cast! We then passed through Fiesta Village on our way to Camp Snoopy. Christmas lights were up all throughout the park. In Camp Snoopy is, “Snoopy’s Magical Nights of Lights.” Hundreds of thousands of lights decorate the area, accompanied by a festive sountrack. We enjoyed walking through the area and admiring the lights. Hi Frosty! Before heading home we stopped in a couple more stores to see all the Christmas goodies. This dancing Snoopy was pretty funny. The stores outside the park are filled to the brim with Christmas merchandise as well. You can get a classy tie. From inexpensive stocking stuffers to pricey Christmas decorations, Knott’s has you covered. So that’s Knott’s Merry Farm! We had a great time this year. There’s plenty to do with the additions of Santa’s Christmas Cabin, Christmas On Engine 41, and a full-scale tree lighting show, combined with the returning classics like “It’s Christmas, Snoopy,” The Christmas Crafts Village, and much more. And of course, all the rides are open during the event as well. We definitely recommend visiting and seeing it for yourself! Thanks to the amazing team at Knott’s for throwing such a wonderful event and inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report! Edited December 10, 2013 by ILoveRides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperShawn Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great coverage David and Spears. I always loved going to Knott's Merry Farm. The treats look extra delicious this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I've never been to Knott's over the Christmas season--looks like they go all out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyteowl Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great Coverage as always! Glad you enjoyed it and it looks like the Farm has a lot to offer this year. The park definitely has a different vibe while working it during the holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Yay, more holiday eye candy! Looks really nice this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Wow! Knott's is really doing things RIGHT!!! Kind of funny how in the last 5 years or so, Knott's is starting to feel like it's getting closer to being more like the park down the street from it and less like the park north of it on I-5. Personally, I think that's a GOOD THING!!! I gotta think from the parks perspective they'd rather be thought of in the same sentence as Disney and not Six Flags. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidcoaster 2 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Great review! I don't really get into the Christmas things at parks but Knotts seems be the one I would love to visit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Wow! Knott's is really doing things RIGHT!!! Kind of funny how in the last 5 years or so, Knott's is starting to feel like it's getting closer to being more like the park down the street from it and less like the park north of it on I-5. Personally, I think that's a GOOD THING!!! I gotta think from the parks perspective they'd rather be thought of in the same sentence as Disney and not Six Flags. --Robb Exactly--Knott's is becoming more like the park I remember from the old family visits back in the 1960s and '70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Wow, some good looking stuff there! It's nice to see that they're becoming more accessible to people with dietary requirements as well. I think that's a good move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arby Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Great pics and report! It looks like they really do Christmas well. Only a few more weeks and I'll get to experience it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Wow, Knott's puts on a great Christmas event! Would love to check this out some year. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Stratosphere Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 WOW!!! Thanks for the great report and awesome photos! There seems to be a lot of attention to detail! Looks like Knott's is now on my list of things to do during the Holiday Season!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomman295 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Looks great. I wish I still had my air miles, going back for Christmas sounds fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyBo Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Great stuff guys! It's awesome to see Knott's doing all the things right. Seriously, this is great and I love that Knott's seems to be going back to the family friendly thing like when I was a kid a grew up going there every year. I like how they themed the new area of the Boardwalk Pier. Question…was the log ride themed to Christmas? I thought in the past they had some Christmas elements throughout the ride like treats and additional christmas lights. Jimmy "Can't wait to get back to Knott's soon!" Bo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sabo Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Awesome photos! Love the look of KBF all decorated for the holidays. Snoopy rocks on skates..lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeromyL Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Awesome... Thanks for all of the photo's!!! Taking my daughter back to Knott's in 2 days... can't wait to check everything out!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnome Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 The entertainment offerings look solid! Quality shows are honestly the best way to help eat up an entire day and it looks like Knotts continues to improve on their family offerings. Every update this site puts on the webpage, its easy to see the improvements. The park looks great! I look forward to going back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbottgen Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Very Nice! Tried to go to Knott's Merry Farm a few years ago but was rained out. Looks like I am going to have to try again soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveRides Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Question…was the log ride themed to Christmas? I thought in the past they had some Christmas elements throughout the ride like treats and additional christmas lights Unfortunately the Log Ride no longer gets Halloween or Christmas overlays. I've heard that this is to protect all the new animatronics and scenery they've added, as having actors and scenery changes in the mountain can take its toll on the existing props. I do miss the overlays though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 ^Consider the "new" log flume a Christmas present. I'm looking forward to riding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy4Coasters! Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Beautiful trip report! Seeing all the great stuff makes me even more excited to go later on this month. Thanks again for the awesome work you both do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Nice report...sad they don't do Elf Mountain anymore though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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