Knott's Berry Farm Holiday Celebrations

8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA.

Buena Park, CA-- A visit to Knott's Berry Farm today was the perfect way to launch the holiday. Red-suited gents with long, white beards greeted guests with merry wishes at the park entrance, and inside, the huge trees decorated with big red bows made this old-fashioned theme park feel so special. One of my favorite decorations on light poles included little guitars and sombreros. On Dec. 5 through 20, 2009, guests get in free with a $15 value gift in the Toys for Tots fund drive.

I rode the historic train and sat next to some people from Florida who told me about alligators in parks and lakes near their home in Tampa.  Some outlaw cowboys tried the hold the train up, but their efforts were thwarted when passengers wished them "happy holidays".
 

I purchased a few unique gifts such as wood-carved writing pens for only $3.99, and tried  a Pinks hot dog for the very first time. The Chicago Hot Dog was tasty with onions, relish, tomato, mustard (they left the lettuce out that was supposed to come with it). As Santa concluded, the skin on the dogs is slightly tough, but the dogs are tasty enough and they come in a variety of options from chili and grilled onions to extra spicy.

As Knott's launches their winter holiday schedule, events to enjoy are Toys for Tots in which you get in free with a $15 toy from Dec. 5-20. Snoopy's holiday show on ice, Knott's Crafters Christmas Faire, Peanut's Holiday Parade, and Elf Mountain Christmas are all featured through the Christmas holidays. knotts.com. Get Tickets!

Knott’s Berry Farm looks like Santa’s Toy Shop this year as it stocks hundreds of toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Drive. This year guests can simplify their holiday gift buying by purchasing a $15 gift from one of several merchandise locations in Knott’s Marketplace and then bringing it to Knott’s Main Gate for free admission. Those wishing to bring their own new, unwrapped gift valued at $15 or more, will be given a voucher to purchase a regular Knott’s Merry Farm admission for only $15. For those who wish to donate to Toys for Tots online, and click on Santa’s Toy bag and your donation will purchase a gift for the Toys for Tots Drive and give you a ticket to Knott’s as a thank you.

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Drive at Knott’s runs Dec. 5-20, 2009 only. The collected toys will be distributed by U.S. Marine Corps Reserve personnel to disadvantaged children throughout Southern California. The annual program is part of a nationwide U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Knott’s Berry Farm is the largest collection site for Toys for Tots in Southern California.

A visit to Knott’s Merry Farm is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season with your family. The Park, which has been transformed into a spectacular winter wonderland, includes activities for the whole family including a colorful Christmas parade and a spectacular holiday ice show.

The “A Peanuts’ Holiday Parade” is a Christmas celebration with seven elaborately themed floats featuring the Peanuts gang and accompanied by students from the Orange County Song and Dance Company. Children and adults alike will be able to get into the holiday spirit as they become part of a magical world of dancing snowmen, oversized toys and glittering Christmas trees.

Returning to Knott’s 2,100-seat Charles M. Schulz Theatre is “Snoopy’s Cool Christmas.” This ice spectacular is hosted by the famous skating Beagle and features Knott’s ensemble skaters, dazzling sets, colorful costumes and plenty of surprises! There is no better way to get into the holiday season than to enjoy the world’s most famous beagle as he skates to your favorite holiday music in a production that is truly breathtaking.
Back for 2009’s Merry Farm is Elf Mountain Christmas. The famous Timber Mountain Log Ride has once again been transformed into the North Pole where we can all get a glimpse of Santa and his elves getting ready for their busiest night of the year. Rich with lights, music and the merriest of times, this attraction will remain open until Jan. 3, 2010.
Knott’s Merry Farm also offers guests the opportunity to get a little Christmas shopping done. Knott’s 1880s Ghost Town becomes Knott’s Christmas Crafts Village, and invites guests to explore one-of-a-kind treasures created by more than 100 artisans in a Victorian holiday wonderland. And don’t miss live performances of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and O’Henry’s “A Gift of the Magi” in the Bird Cage Theatre.

The Toys for Tots campaign collected close to 113,000 toys at Knott’s Berry Farm last year and hopes to exceed that number this December. Each year, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve coordinates the distribution of the collected toys to disadvantaged children through local social service agencies. This year’s campaign at Knott’s is supported by UPS, who will transport collected toys to the local U.S. Marine Corps drop-off center. For information on Knott’s Merry Farm activities and show schedules, call (714) 220-5200.