Knott's Berry Farm is gearing up for its Boysenberry Festival, running March 13 through April 12, 2026. This year features over 100 food items, offering exceptional variety and value that rivals Disney's EPCOT festivals. Knott's has adopted the EPCOT festival format with specialty food booths, tasting cards, artisan vendors, and live entertainment, but with the distinctive advantage of a culinary heritage linked to the festival's theme.
The Knott's Berry Food Lineup Is Genuinely Insane
Over 100 signature boysenberry-inspired menu offerings are not a typo. That's more food variety than most EPCOT festivals offer during their entire 60-plus-day runs, and Knott's is concentrating of all into 31 days. New savory items for 2026 include spicy boysenberry bulgogi over steamed rice, topped with green onions, and reuben balls with spicy boysenberry thousand island dressing, which shows that Knott's isn't just making boysenberry pie and calling it a day.
New sweet treats include boysenberry and pineapple upside-down cake and boysenberry meringue tart alongside all the returning favorites that have built loyal followings over the festival's multi-year run. The beverage lineup features boysenberry paloma, boysenberry and kiwi lemonade, boysenberry tequila sunrise, plus wines and craft beers that incorporate the signature berry into drinks you can only get at Knott's during this limited-time event.
Tasting cards offering six tastings from several boysenberry dishes and drinks, letting you experience variety without committing to full portions of every single item. You can buy them at Knotts.com before your visit or grab them at the park.
Entertainment That Actually Matters
New for 2026, Boysen Bear's Pie Kitchen Games in Calico Park invites guests to stop coyote pups Moxie and Brawny from stealing pies. Afterward, celebrate at Boysen Bear's Pie Eating Contest on the Calico Mine Stage.
The renovated Birdcage Theatre presents The Great Bank Robbery, an interactive show where the audience cheers for the hero and boos the villain. Knott's Preserved returns with a musical journey from Calico ghost town to the Roaring Twenties, celebrating the park's heritage.
Old MacDonald's Barn makes a comeback, allowing guests to hang out with horses, goats, and other farm animals, providing family-friendly activities for younger children without needing to buy food.
Why the Boysenberry Actually Matters to Knott's Berry Farm
This festival stands out from typical theme park food events due to its rich history. The Boysenberry Museum at Town Hall highlights how the boysenberry, cultivated by Rudolph Boysen and saved from extinction by Walter Knott, is integral to the park's origin.
The popularity of the Knott family's boysenberry pies and preserves resulted in long lines at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant, prompting the creation of attractions to entertain guests while they waited. This connection between the boysenberry and the park's existence gives the festival a unique authenticity that other themed food events lack.
Craft Fair and Art Show
The Boysenberry Festival Crafts Fair happens in the Ghost Town streets with unique boysenberry-inspired artisan products from over two dozen local vendors. This directly parallels what Disney does at EPCOT's Festival of the Arts but compressed into one month instead of being spread across a longer timeline.
The “Tied Up in Knott's” art show returns to The Factory Store featuring pieces by the Knott's artist community celebrating all things boysenberry, creating opportunities for local artists while giving guests something beyond food to experience.
Knott's Berry Farms Hotel Package Bundles Everything
The Boysenberry Festival package at Knott's Hotel bundles overnight accommodations, one day admission per person, one boysenberry tasting card valid for six items, one single-use Fast Lane per person, and hotel parking. The Fast Lane inclusion is particularly valuable since festival weekends see increased crowds, making skip-the-line access worthwhile for families wanting both festival experiences and regular park attractions without spending half their day in queues.
Why This Works Better Than EPCOT
The 31-day timeline creates urgency that EPCOT's lengthy festivals lack. A focus on a single signature ingredient gives the festival a clear identity, while heritage education ties food to the park's history rather than treating it solely as a revenue opportunity.
With over 100 menu items in a smaller park space, it's easier to sample multiple offerings compared to EPCOT's vast layout. Knott's Boysenberry Festival runs daily from March 13 to April 12, 2026, making it a must-visit for anyone in Southern California during that time.
