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Food at the Knott's Boysenberry Festival 2019


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The 2019 Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm is now here! For those who don’t know, the Boysenberry Festival is an annual celebration where Knott’s honors the boysenberry, a fruit that played an important role in turning Knott’s into the giant amusement park it is today. The festival includes entertainment, live music, a wine and craft brew tasting garden, an art show, and lots of other family fun. But most importantly, the festival features over 75 one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired foods and drinks - allowing guests to experience the boysenberry in all its glory! Knott’s invited us to a preview tasting event to show off some of the awesome deliciousness that’s available at this year’s festival, so check out our full report below to see what’s available! But I have to warn you, these photos may make you start salivating!

 

The festival runs from March 29- April 28, 2019 - so pick out your favorite items below, make a plan of what you want to eat, and prepare to come hungry! On with the report…

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We're at Knott's Berry Farm to check out all the awesome food that you can get at the Boysenberry Festival starting now through April 28, 2019!

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Before we dive face first into the food, let's take a quick look at some of the merchandise!

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This year you can actually buy canned boysenberries! What better to make pies with?

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Maybe cobbler kits are your thing?

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If you don't feel like baking anything, just go for some boysenberry jelly beans in a jar.

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Mmmmm, boysenberry caramels!

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Get your boysenberry pies out of the oven with a boysenberry potholder! Just be careful not to spill anything on your boysenberry apron!

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A whole range of boysenberry sodas are available!

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Mugs are always a popular souvenir.

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The event shirt this year is great!

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If you forget to put on your boysenberry apron and you end up spilling boysenberry all over yourself, clean up by taking a bath using these boysenberry bath products!

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For the first time ever, Yogurtland is teaming up with Knott's to offer a special flavor - Boysenberry Pie! You can get this at Yogurtland, and while you're there don't forget to pick up your special discount coupon for the Boysenberry Festival! (To clarify: the Boysenberry Pie frozen yogurt is only available at Yogurtland - it won't be available at Knott's)

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Special frozen yogurt + special discount coupon? Yes, please! Sign me up!

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Moving on to the food you can get at Knott's (and there's a LOT!) ... here's the Boysenberry Elote getting dusted in boysenberry deliciousness!

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Boysenberry and Lemon Hummus.

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Boysenberry Salmon over Mixed Greens.

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Challenge yourself to eat the entire 2' Hotdog on a Boysenberry Bun!

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Boysenberry Pulled Pork Tostada.

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Boysenberry Chili in a Boysenberry Bread Bowl (Note for vegans/vegetarians: While in the past Knott's has had vegetarian chili, this version for the Boysenberry Festival contains meat)

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Boysenberry Sausage.

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Boysenberry Jerk Chicken Wings.

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Boysenberry Habanero Baked Mac-N-Cheese.

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Boysenberry Jambalaya with Chicken and Sausage.

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New this year is the massive "Berry Beast" which is a crispy pork tenderloin sandwich covered in bacon wrapped onion rings, jalapenos, grilled onions, and drizzled with boysenberry BBQ sauce.

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Boysenberry Flank Steak with Boysenberry Cream Cheese.

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White Chocolate Bosenberry Cheesecake.

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Boysenberry BBQ Chicken Skewers with Boysenberry Aioli. Are you tired of reading the word "Boysenberry" yet? Too bad, because there's tons more boysenberry stuff to come!

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This Boysenberry and Basil Lemonade was really delicious - probably my favorite drink this year!

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Although I expect the returning Boysenberry Boba to be more popular, since it's super Instagram-friendly.

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Boysenberry Tart.

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Boysenberry Sugar Cookies.

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Boysenberry Frosted Cookies.

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Boysenberry Lime Tart. If you haven't found something you want to try yet, you must just not like boysenberries!

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Boysenberry Macaroon.

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You can't get much more classic or historically accurate than a Knott's Boysenberry Pie! It's a timeless classic that never gets old!

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It's seriously amazing how many creative and delicious boysenberry items they've come up with. Check out these Boysenberry Cinnamon-Sugar Chips with Boysenberry Ice Cream.

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Even though I listed a ton of the food items, there's still plenty more! Over 75 total! So suffice to say, there's something for everyone! In addition to the food there's a Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden located in the Wilderness Dance Hall.

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Dozens of wineries and breweries are participating. There are lots of good options!

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The "Tied Up In Knott's" art show returns again this year as well! Here's a preview of some of the pieces!

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Who doesn't love Brutus?

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Lots of different rides are represented.

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There's lots of love for past attractions as well. TPR favorite Jeff Tucker pays homage to Knott's Beary Tales with his piece.

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Brittney was drawn to all the cute pieces!

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Another awesome Beary Tales tribute!

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Kindom of the Dinosaurs gets some love too!

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Check out this piece made from laser etched wood!

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This one was Brittney's favorite because it was 125% cute.

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Lots of different mediums are used, from digital to hand painting to sculpture. Some pieces are more cartoon-like, while others are photo-realistic.

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There were so many great pieces of art that it's hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose I'd go with "Citizens of Calico" by Richard Wallace shown here on the right.

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This is just a small sample of what's available, to see them all you'll have to attend! The originals are all for sale, and prints are available for many of them!

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Brittney says, "Ok, you've seen enough! Time for you guys to go so I can dig in and try all this awesome food!"

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Do you want to become an "official taste tester" like Brittney? Then don't miss the Knott's Boysenberry Festival! The festivities run from March 29 - April 28, 2019. Get your hands on all the delicious boysenberry treats you've seen here, plus enjoy tons of entertainment and family fun! Don't miss it! Thanks to Knott's for inviting us to attend this mouth-watering preview event, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

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Brittney, love the Boysenberry lipstick and nail polish! So festive and thematic!

 

Great TR of all that is Boysenberry and awesome, guys! I already

felt I'd gained 5 pounds, before posting this, hah!

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ha! I've learned!

 

saw you post this earlier, but didn't come to look at it until AFTER I've gorged myself with Sushi for dinner. . . so I could enjoy without getting hungry.

 

 

 

great pics, and even things that don't "sound" great to me - boysenberry corn ??? - look delicious.

 

loving the pics of the art too. . . that wood cut is amazing.

 

thanks for the report

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I think the Best Option, for us, is to get those Cans (Tins?) of Boysenberrys!

Easy to take back with us and wow, what an awesome thing for topping ice cream!

 

At least 3 cans.

 

Wait.

The Knott's Berry Farm name is all over these new products!

What happened with "S-m-uckers?"

Is the "Marketplace" brand no more? Or both exist, now?

 

I am interested, thanks.

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I even got my 2016 MP Bag up on a kitchen wall! (o:

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Looks amazing! I'm going with a friend who is Vegan this year...what options did you see besides the hummus that she'll be able to have?

 

Unfortunately the boysenberry hummus was the only vegan "food" item . To be 100% honest, I wouldn't recommend the festival to vegans. It's a shame, because it seems like some simple changes like taking the meat out of the chili recipe (or replacing it with Beyond Meat) could easily create more options so that all guests could have a great time. But at the end of the day, I get it - they're in business to make a profit, and it's much easier for them to make items that appeal to 95%+ of their guests than to try to cater to that last ~5% who are vegan or have food allergies.

 

For the vegans who still end up going nonetheless, I'd recommend:

 

- The Boysenberry and Basil Lemonade is great.

 

- Last year they were able to make the Boysenberry Boba with non-dairy milks such as almond and coconut milk, but I don't know if they're still doing that this year. You'd have to inquire at the park.

 

- Keep an eye out for little boysenberry treats at some of the stores and stands. For example, in past years the boysenberry licorice was vegan (and delicious!). If they still have that this year I'd recommend it! I’m pretty sure the Boysenberry Cotton Candy is vegan too.

 

- There are some vegan options that aren't related to the Boysenberry Festival. The Chicken Dinner Restaurant has a special vegan menu with a few ok options. I haven't been super impressed with any of them, but they’ll get you by! You can also get alcoholic drinks there, if you’re into that sort of thing.

 

- If you’re willing to leave the park, I’m sure you guys can find other restaurants outside the park that would have vegan options. Carl’s Jr. is 1 mile away - they recently added a Beyond Meat burger that can be veganized.

 

- Trust me on this if you’re willing to drive a bit. After you’re done at the park and have had dinner, drive 15 minutes to: 14241 Euclid Street C115, Garden Grove, CA 92843. It’s a vegan ice cream shop called “Hug Life” - you will both love it!

 

And just to clarify so there’s no confusion, I think the staff in charge of food at Knott’s are all great. They’ve always treated Brittney and me with respect, been very responsive and helpful to us, and have even gone above-and-beyond for us at some of the media events. I do think the vegan options are few and far between at the park, but I think it has a lot to do with the realities of trying to run a profitable amusement park - not that the staff are doing anything wrong. Unfortunately this is an industry-wide issue with no easy solution.

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Is General Admission required for getting into the event? I know during Christmastime they used to (or maybe they still do?) sell a "crafts fair" ticket for $10-$15 and you couldn't go on any rides or anything, but you could at least just go to visit the festival. I think it was more for the vendors, to get more people in the park.

 

I really dig one of those paintings, but I'm not in California, however some friends I know are 5 mins away! They'd definitely go by the park to pick it up for me, but I'm not sure with General Admission + the price of the painting that it'd be worth it.

 

That being said all the food looks remarkably well thought out and thorough, I'd definitely stop by if I was in the area but perhaps I will have to wait until next year. I also love how I don't see "Smuckers" anymore. Is Knott's starting to sell it's own products again, because that would be a huge plus, and really, they should. It makes something in the heart of Orange County unique to just Orange County, and KBF and Cedar Fair should recognize and celebrate that.

 

Thanks for the review!

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^^If I'm not mistaken, they no longer sell that "craft fair" pass. Everyone has to pay full admission, and has full access to the park.

 

I can't find where the Boysenberry Basil Lemonade is sold... it's one of the only items not listed in the guide. Is it the same place that sells the boba?

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^^If I'm not mistaken, they no longer sell that "craft fair" pass. Everyone has to pay full admission, and has full access to the park.

 

I can't find where the Boysenberry Basil Lemonade is sold... it's one of the only items not listed in the guide. Is it the same place that sells the boba?

 

They never sold a craft fair pass for Boysenberry. That was limited to Knotts Merry Farm years ago when the event was just the craft booths and log ride conversion. Now that Merry Farm is a full park event, that is gone.

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Looks amazing! I'm going with a friend who is Vegan this year...what options did you see besides the hummus that she'll be able to have?

 

And just to clarify so there’s no confusion, I think the staff in charge of food at Knott’s are all great. They’ve always treated Brittney and me with respect, been very responsive and helpful to us, and have even gone above-and-beyond for us at some of the media events. I do think the vegan options are few and far between at the park, but I think it has a lot to do with the realities of trying to run a profitable amusement park - not that the staff are doing anything wrong. Unfortunately this is an industry-wide issue with no easy solution.

I think that is a very accurate and respectful assessment. It is tough to find theme park food that accommodates vegetarians let alone vegans, and I'd say Knott's is even slightly better on that than many other parks (SDC, for example, has about 2-3 vegetarian dishes in the whole park, and only one of those could be made vegan from what I saw).

 

I do think our society is gradually moving toward vegetarian/veganism being more common, and food service is slowly responding to it. The grocery stores I've been to have many more meat substitute brands than even 5 years ago, and fast food and restaurants are adding more as well. I actually didn't know Carl's Jr had a meat substitute burger, I'll have to try it next time I am around one.

 

I think it's great that you guys cover this event so well given you don't eat 95% of what they serve. Your photos are all stunning! You can really see how much effort the park puts into creating interesting and aesthetic dishes. Thank you for the report!

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  • 2 weeks later...

My friend discovered vegan pizza at the place across from Shultz theater and it was delicious.

 

They also have boysenberry cocktails at the chicken dinner restaurant bar that I loved (mojito, whiskey sour, margarita).

 

One minor gripe is that if you didn’t buy the tasting card, they were not clear on where to purchase individual items even though prices were on the booth. None of the booths have registers, so we got directed multiple places to try and buy just the hummus.

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