If it’s April, that must mean it’s Boysenberry Festival season. And if you’re up to do the math, that means were at the 10th Anniversary of the festival! Let’s look at how they’re celebrating this year. If you’re looking for the food, we’ve covered that in a previous article. Today we’re mostly looking around the park at entertainment and other offerings.
It’s not hard to see why this event was originally themed to the blooming buds of spring. The whole place is plussed up with flowers of all colors, but mostly purple.
The biggest draw of the Boysenberry Festival, outside of the food, are the craft booths. You can find them strewn all around Ghost Town with a variety of goods.
There’s is a wide variety of goods. Our favorite is the tea booth across from the Bird Cage Theater, perfectly placed right next to the honey. 
But you’ll also find many dolls, toys, purses, instruments, and everything else you can think of. I always appreciate it when this season comes around. It brings a lot of life to Ghost Town.
Speaking of life, the Dress Shop, has a seamstress inside during this season. It’s an important role to see in the park that anchors the history of the land and of Knott’s. Make sure to drop in and talk to her to see what she’s working on. They’re not actors. They’re actually working with the equipment around them. 
And right down the street, Old MacDonald’s Barn has some new faces. The horses are around as always, of course. Walt was happy to say “hi” to anyone who came up.
But over on the other side, you’ll find some goats and sheep, just itching for you to pet them.
The sheep were staying a bit away from the guests, but the goats were literally itching for a scratching.
And continuing a stroll down the street, we end up at the Bird Cage, home to a new melodrama. Let’s see how it is.
This year marks the debut of the newest melodrama, The Great Bank Robbery. Unlike previous years, this story is more streamlined and more straightforward to follow. There are plenty of self-aware jokes, references to park rides, and lots of singing with great performers. 
Town Hall isn’t just gussied up on the outside. Inside, they have a video that goes over the history of the Boysenberry. If the importance of this specific berry to the park is news to you, this film is required viewing.
There are also some games for kids to help with throughout the day. Curiously, they actually follow a storyline, with the theft of the boysenberry pies, instead of just being a hodgepodge of activities. It’s a welcome change and something I can’t recall ever being done before. It’s also making a lot more use of the Berry Factory bears, instead of the famous beagle, giving them more of a presence during the event with which they share a name.
The eyes on this rooster seemed to follow us wherever we were in Calico Square. 
Of course, we tried a few of the new food options. The first up was an early dessert with Chocolate-dipped Buñuelo and Boysenberry soft-serve ice cream. It was crunchier than I expected, but yummy.
Next up were the salmon bites with a boysenberry glaze. We finished it all off. 
After finishing our meal, we went back out for the final event of the day, which fittingly was the famous pie-eating contest. After devouring a pie, the winner was gifted a ribbon and yet another boysenberry pie.
The General Store had some new magnets celebrating the festival. 
There was a lot of music to be found all over the park, whether you’re sampling a flight of beers in the wilderness dance hall, or just wandering around the Roaring 20s. This is what makes the park feel alive.
“Tied Up in Knott’s” is the name of the art gallery where you can find a wall packed with creative callbacks to the park’s history.
You’ll always find a wide variety of items on display here. Most of it is always for sale, including both the originals and prints. The originals are claimed quite quickly, so if you see one you like, and it’s available, act fast.
These bears look awfully familiar. Almost like they’re a famous band that plays in the Wagon Camp. Oh, you know what? It is! That’s Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies! And they’re playing every weekend night throughout the event.
While dinosaur rides might be fading into the past, the memories of them are as strong as ever.
Finally, the night ends with the performance of Knott’s Preserved: A Musical Celebration. Originally made to celebrate the park’s 100th Anniversary, it’s held up well, and now, with the addition of the screens behind them, it breathes new life into the show.
There are a lot of songs, dancing, and costume changes. It’s just fun all around with a large, colorful cast. I’m happy if it sticks around for years to come. 
And that wraps up our trip around the park for the 10th Anniversary of the Boysenberry Festival. It’s a lot to do, and while the festival is included with admission, we’d strongly recommend getting a season pass to stretch it out over multiple visits. It’s a great deal.
Additionally, while buying food à la carte is always an option, tasting cards are a way to save some cash. Tasting cards, tickets, and passes are all available at Knotts.com. The Boysenberry Festival runs daily through April 27th, and weekends in May. See you in the parks!
