Knott’s Berry Farm is making up for lost time and kicking off 2022 with their Seasons of Fun. First up is the most beloved PEANUTS CELEBRATION, where the focus is on the Peanuts characters we all know and love. This family event allows guests to step right into the pages of Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip, as his PEANUTS characters have taken over the entire park.
I’m a big fan of Knott’s annual celebrations (obviously with Boysenberry Festival being right at the top EDITOR’S NOTE: What? Ms. Green Witch, he doesn’t mean that), but Peanuts has always held a special place for me. I do love the characters, and it’s always great to see them take over for a few months and get their moment in the sun.
To kick things off, they have some new shows this year that celebrate the Peanuts. First up is the retro-inspired “It’s Your Life, Charlie Brown” on the Calico Mine Stage, where Charlie Brown stumbles into a game show all about his life. It’s adorable, of course. There is also “The Music Goes Round and Round” at the Camp Snoopy Theatre, where Sally and Schroeder host a retrospect of melodies for the younger guests. This was fun, high energy, and had a pretty great set!
In the evening hours, guests can visit the Calico Mine Stage for Woodstock’s Music Festival, complete with rotating bands performing every night AND a rad Woodstock puppet! There is also Spike’s Silent Disco, returning yet again because it’s incredibly popular. Alas, the Charles M. Schulz theater is empty this year, as there is a bit of construction going on nearby for the new eatery and bathrooms.
One of our absolute favorites is back as well, the Sketch School! In the Bird Cage Theatre, you can learn from an expert how to draw your favorite Peanuts characters. This is always a blast, and my drawings always come out better than I think they will! There is also the opportunity to explore Camp Snoopy, which has even more Peanuts goodness spread throughout it again this year.
But wait! There is more! The Livery Stable has been converted to Pigpen’s Pig Pen again, so you can visit the animals and take a photo with Pigpen. There is also the Peanuts Cowboy Jamboree, where you can face off against some of these characters in some fun games. And there is also the “Take Care with Peanuts” exhibit in Town Hall, with some look behind the scenes of some of these famous creations and how they deal with some tough questions over the years.
Of course, we expect an interesting range of new food offerings with things like this, and we sure as heck got it this year. Peanuts Celebration manages to cram a lot of new food at locations all over the park. A peanut butter and jelly cheeseburger looked interesting, along with the Wah Wah Wah Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Loaded fries. But one thing there was an abundance of was grilled cheese. It came in every flavor: brie grilled cheese, grande mac sloppy joe, deep fried grilled cheese, and patty melt grilled cheese. Someone clearly likes it! That said, the food had better offerings, and tasted better, than their Scary Farm offerings, but it was not quite as varied as Merry Farm’s. Either way, there was plenty to try for everyone.
All in all, the Peanuts Celebration was a lot of fun, and definitely an event for the entire family to enjoy. It runs daily from January 22 – March 6, 2022 at Knott’s Berry Farm. For more information, visit them online here.