Each holiday season, Knott's Merry Farm puts Knott’s Berry Farm into the holiday spirit and transforms the Orange County theme park into a winter wonderland. Festive lights, holiday treats and cheery entertainment will have froglets of all ages feeling merry and bright. This guide will walk you through everything your family needs to know before heading to Knott's Merry Farm, at this berry-themed, theme park just a 10-minute drive from Disneyland Resort!
FAQs
- When is Knott's Merry Farm? Knott's Merry Farm runs Nov. 21, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026.
- Is everything included in my admission ticket? All of the entertainment and decor is included. Food costs extra.
- Is Knott's Berry Farm open on Christmas Day? The park is closed on Christmas Day and on rainy days.
- Do a need a ticket to see Snoopy on Ice? Snoopy on Ice is inlcuded with park admission, but this popular show is first come, first served.
- How can I save on Knott's Berry Farm tickets? Visit during non-peak times, or get a Los Angeles or San Diego GoCity card, which includes admission to Knott's Berry Farm and many other popular theme parks and attractions. Undercover Tourist sells GoCity cards at a discount!
Knott's Merry Farm 2025 Overview
One of our family traditions that goes back to my own froglet days is watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Maybe that's why Peanuts characters and the holidays just seem to go together. You'll be able to celebrate with the Peanuts at Knott's, by meeting them in the park and seeing them in shows. Ice skating Snoopy and Peppermint Patty? Oh, yeah!
Knott's Berry Farm always puts out a nice spread of unique foods. Those crispy breaded turkey balls with stuffing and cranberry are toadally calling me! There are so many unique holiday-inspired treats to try. The park is beautifully decorated and lit at night. And there is special Holiday entertainment as well. Add all the festivities to the rides and western atmosphere of the park, and you have something for everyone in your family.
Knott’s Merry Farm Dates and Tickets
Knott’s Merry Farm is open every day, Nov. 21, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026, except for Christmas Day when Knott's is closed. You can enjoy special entertainment and foods both day and night.
Hours vary based on the day, but typically the weekend has longer hours, while Mondays through Thursdays are shorter. If you want to bask in the glow of holiday lights, then choose a weekend visit.
Crowds will intensify on holiday weeks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve), especially on the weekends. If you can, we recommend taking your froglets during a weekday, or earlier in the holiday season. Check the chaperone policy before you visit.
Best Knott’s Merry Farm Tickets
Knott’s Merry Farm tickets are available for purchase now. Knott's Merry Farm hours are the same as normal park hours (although a few shows and food options are offered only on select days). No reservation or separate dated ticket is needed.
If your froglets are old enough to ride the roller coasters, we recommend adding Fast Lane through Knott's if it's within your budget. Holiday crowds are inevitable and a Fast Lane pass will optimize your time for many of the most popular rides.
What are the Fast Lane Rides? Rides offering Fast Lane during Knott's Merry Farm include:
- Calico Mine Ride
- Calico River Rapids
- Coast Rider
- GhostRider
- HangTime
- Knott's Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair
- La Revolucion
- Los Voladores
- Pony Express
- Sierra Sidewinder
- Silver Bullet
- Sol Spin
- Supreme Scream
- Timber Mountain Log Ride
- Xcelerator
Ride availability may vary.
Camp Snoopy is open with a beautiful refurbishment (parts are ongoing). The new rides are open during Knott's Merry Farm. Check the app for times and locations to meet PEANUTS characters. They are back in Camp Snoopy in a temporary location on the lawn and stage!
Knott's Merry Farm Décor and Meeting Santa
Every part of the theme park is festive and bright. When you enter the park, you'll be greeted with trees, poinsettias, signs and holiday lights. You'll spot white lights and green garland, wreaths and a tall Christmas tree in Ghost Town. Camp Snoopy has colorful holiday decorations all day and festive lightning at night.
Walk under strings of lights in the Boardwalk area while you sip and savor the holiday flavors. Don't let the SoCal climate keep the fountain in Charleston Circle from freezing over.
Note the colorful trees all around the Boardwalk area and a Charlie Brownish tree in Camp Snoopy. Look for festive photo ops around the park.
Santa’s Christmas Cabin
You can experience all kinds of Christmasy sights and smells in Santa's Christmas Cabin. If you want to meet Santa, feast on some sweet holiday treats, or sample some wine (for the 21+ frogs), Santa’s Christmas Cabin is the place to be.
Upon entering, frog families are greeted with the aroma of roasted nuts and baked goods, and the sight of Santa on his chair, twinkling lights and an overall atmosphere of merriment. In the morning or when Santa is off feeding his reindeer, you might get treated to Santa Snoopy instead.
Must-See Entertainment at Knott's Merry Farm
You can get into the Christmas spirit with holiday shows and other forms of entertainment. Here's a look at the Knott's Merry Farm 2024 shows. Note that weekdays have shorter hours and reduced entertainment. You can always check the schedules in the Knott's Berry Farm app.
Snoopy's Night Before Christmas: Ice Show The 40th anniversary of Snoopy on Ice brought the gift of an all-new show in 2022. Gather around for a retelling of the "A Visit From St. Nicholas" poem and some of the recitations from "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Snoopy joins the world-class Knott's Ice Skating Ensemble in the Walter Knott Theater. You'll see ice skaters and Snoopy himself twirling and spinning across the stage. Join in the fun on select days. This is a can't-miss show with acrobatic skating, many costume changes and even snowfall. Look for appearances by Charlie Brown, Linus, Franklin and Peppermint Patty.
Home for the Holidays: “Home for the Holidays” invites frog families to sing along to favorite Christmas tunes, dance along with magical dancing toys and let in the joy of the holidays. Enjoy classic holiday songs and timeless seasonal traditions. It's located at the Calico Mine Stage.
A Calico Christmas Carol & The Gift of the Magi, 1885: Many long-time Knott’s season passholders call "A Christmas Carol" a favorite holiday tradition. It's time for a new tradition with the "A Calico Christmas Carol" adapation. The historic Bird Cage Theater (located in Ghost Town) is home to the black box theater-style rendition of “A Calico Christmas Carol” and welcomes back a new addition, "The Gift of the Magi, 1885." There are different showtimes for each performance on select dates of the season.
More Holiday Fun at Knott's Merry Farm
Calico Carolers: Keep an eye out for Christmas Carolers on the streets of Ghost Town. They spread holiday cheer with their bells and voices throughout the morning and early afternoon. They are a pleasure to listen to.
Snow and Glow: Experience a magical snowfall and light show in Ghost Town once the sun sets. The snowfall occurs hourly from sundown until the park closes and only lasts a few minutes, so don't be late.
Nightly Christmas Tree Lighting: Is there anything better than a good old-fashioned Christmas tree lighting? Gather together at Calico Square and witness the nightly Christmas tree lighting at sunset. It was at 5:15 p.m. the night we visited.
Bluegrass Duo: Be transported to the heart of Ghost Town with this classic duo at Fireman's BBQ.
Christmas Light Show: Enjoy a holiday light show throughout Camp Snoopy.
Parkwide Lighting Moment: Knott's Berry Farm comes alive with the lights of the season kicking off the nighttime festivities.
Wandering Wranglers: Head to the tree at the Calico Park Stage for singing cowboys and the songs of Christmas. Put on your Yule Tide dancing boots!
Fiesta Village Music: Enjoy festive holiday bands and a guitarist.
Mrs. Claus' Kitchen: On select days, kids can decorate cookies in an old schoolhouse building and take them home.
Knott's Merry Farm Holiday Food 2025
All year long, it's all about the food for us at Knott's. But Knott’s Merry Farm offers a few of our froggy favorites. Here's where to find all the yummy goodness. Many of these comfort food dishes are on the dining plan — look for the dining plan symbol on special menus at the restaurant. Many of our photos are from a media tasting, so they may be plated differently or actually be a larger serving when you get it.
You can hop here for the holiday guide. Here are the 2025 Knott's Merry Farm food items (items on the Dining plan are marked with "DP"). We've also noted a few things we tried and highly recommend:
Ghost Town Bakery
- Brown Butter Dulce De Leche Rice Krispie Treat
- Dubai Chocolate Bar
- Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bar
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Ginger Molasses Cookie
- Zebra Cheesecake
- Pecan Tart
- Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie
- Gourmet Mint Chocolate Cookie with a Peppermint Mousse and a mini Grasshopper Pie
Calico Tater Bites (open select dates)
- Holiday Ham Tots - DP
- Mele Kalikimaka Pizza -DP
Miner’s Mac and Spuds (open select days)
- Tinsel Town Turkey Dinner Loaded Potato Mac & Cheese Bread Bowl - (we highly recommend these!) - DP
- Cherry Clafouti
Mrs. Murphy's
- Buffalo Chicken Flat Bread
- Margherita Flat Bread
- Caramel Apple Whiskey Sour
- Spiced Holiday Wine
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #1 & #7
- Red Trolley
- Golden Stout
Santa's Christmas Cabin
- Santa’s Turkey Dinner Muffin with Brussel Sprouts (We loved this!)
- Chiles Rellenos with a Poblano Cream Sauce and Spanish Rice
- Loaded Cornbread Pancake —Butter Bacon Pancake with Whipped Cream
- Eggnog Bread Pudding with a Whisky Caramel Sauce
- Cheesecake on a Stick dipped in Chocolate
- Freshly Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
- White Christmas Punch
- Hot Chocolate
- Santa’s Cookie with a Glass of Milk or Eggnog
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip with Nilla Wafers
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEERS #3 & #9
Sutter's Grill
- "Ham Dinner" Beef Burger with ham, honey mustard and served with fries - DP
Sutter’s Funnel Cake
- Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Funnel Cake
Ghost Town Grub
- Butter Cake Funnel Cake Topped with Cherry and Mandarin Oranges
- Deep-Fried Pumpkin French Toast
Gourmet Churro Factory
- Christmas Churro Sundae with Red and Green Sugar and Cherry Topping
- Santa’s Hat Shirley Temple
Chow House Ice Cream
- Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade
- Gingerbread Oatmeal Raisin Cookiewich
Wilderness Dogs and Drinks (open select days)
- Meatball Hoagie with Cranberry Gastrique and Mashed Potatoes - DP
- Broiler’s Krampus Fries served with Pulled Pork, Cheese Sauce and Pickled Red Onion - DP
- Angry Santa Fries with Habaneros, Popcorn Chicken and Cheese Sauce - DP
Prop Shop Pizzeria
- White Sauce Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza - DP
- Sausage Kale Pasta with Mascarpone Sauce - DP
- California Kale Cesar Salad - DP
- Mint Chocolate Gourmet Cookie
- Pastry Horn
- Merry Mug
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #4
- Pomegranate Seltzer
- Caramel Apple Whiskey Sour Cocktail
Grizzly Creek Lodge
- Caprese Pizza - DP
- Gingerbread People
- Brown Butter Dulce De Leche Rice Krispie Treat
- Gourmet Reindeer Food Cookie
- Merry Mug
Coasters Diner
- Winter Spinach Salad - DP
- Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese - DP
- Caramel Apple Pie Milkshake
- Gourmet Mint Chocolate Cookie
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #6
- Sugar Cookie Double Hazy IPA
Charleston Circle Coffee
- Cherry or Cranberry Clafoutis
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bar
- Christmas Snoopy Cookie
- Pumpkin RumChata Coffee Cocktail
- Mexican White Russian Cocktail
Boardwalk BBQ
- Loaded Turkey Sandwich with all the Trimmings - DP
- Miso Butter Salmon over Spinach - DP
- Winter Veggie Medley
- Chicken and Pear Salad with balsamic and walnuts - DP
- Gingerbread People
- Zebra Cheesecake
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #10
- Sam Adam’s Seasonal
- Peppermint White Russian Cutwater
Calico Saloon
- Santa’s Kiss Cocktail
- Western Winter Whiskey Mule
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #2 & #8
- Pomegranate Seltzer
- Sugar Cookie Double Hazy IPA
- Peppermint White Russian Cutwater
Strictly-on-a-Stick
- Turkey Corn Dog with a Stuffing Seasoned Batter - DP
Log Ride Funnel
- Masapan Funnel Cake
- Deep-Fried Banana with Powdered Sugar and Chocolate Sauce
Baja Taqueria (open select dates)
- Roasted Chicken Tortilla Soup - DP
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #11
- Merry Mug
Casa California Restaurante
- Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew) - (so yummy!) - DP
- Pomegranate Guacamole
- Dulce de Leche Tres Leches
- Cream-Filled Gingerbread Concha
- Fruit Gelatina (Gelatin)
- Fresa-Flan
Papas Mexicana
- Chicken Tamale Fries: Green or Roja with Crema, Cotija Cheese, and Salsa Roja - DP
- To All a Good Night – Mexican-Style Winter Bock
- Stella Artois
Cantina Del Sur
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #12
- Christmas Ponche Margarita
Mrs. Claus' Kitchen
- Cookie decorating kits
Tiki Bar
- 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS BEER #5
- Sugar Cookie Double Hazy IPA
- Silver Belle Blond
The 12 Days of Christmas Beer Selections
- PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE at Mrs. Murphy’s: Belgian-style quadruple ale with dark Candi sugar, Munich and Vienna malts. Dark, fruity, and complex with a rich malt backbone.
- TURTLE DOVES at Calico Saloon: Brewed with cacao nibs, toasted pecans, Candi sugar and caramel malts. Smooth, chocolatey, and Belgian inspired.
- FRENCH HENS at Santa’s Christmas Cabin: A portion of this ale was aged in French oak barrels and topped with a Belgian-style dark ale. Bold, spicy, and inspired by the third verse. #
- CALLING BIRDS at Prop Shop Pizzeria: Inspired from traditional winter warmers, integrating gingerbread spices with notes of licorice & banana bread mingle and hints of dark fruit, molasses, and bitter chocolate.
- GOLDEN RINGS at Tiki Bar: Contains cinnamon, allspice and ginger along with the delicious sweet and tangy flavor of golden pineapple.
- GEESE-A-LAYING at Coasters Diner: Brewed with cape gooseberries, this malty ale displays notes of plums, dark cherry and bright, citrus-like flavors from the namesake berries.
- SWANS-A-SWIMMING at Mrs. Murphy’s: A take on the Belgian quadruple. This ale contains notes of raisin bread, dried apricots, burnt caramel, and roasted pecans.
- MAIDS-A-MILKING at Calico Saloon: Brewed with milk sugar, giving a creamy sweetness which perfectly complements the robust layers of milk chocolate and subtle spice accents from our house Belgian yeast.
- LADIES DANCING at Santa’s Christmas Cabin: Inspired by flavors found in tiramisu, includes ladyfingers and nine Ladies Dancing mimicking the Italian dessert by whipping together flavor combinations and layers of its own. This includes notes of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee.
- LORDS-A-LEAPING at Boardwalk BBQ: This dark imperial wit ale features spices, complementing spiced notes imparted from the yeast and prance upon the rich, dark fruited character of the specialty malts.
- PIPERS PIPING at Baja Taqueria: This Scotch-style ale adds Belgian Candi sugar to the mix, giving notes of toffee and dried fruit accented by the spicy herbal aroma of coriander.
- DRUMMERS DRUMMING at Cantina Del Sur: A celebratory blend of our bourbon barrel-aged anniversary ale and a Belgian-style quadrupel ale. Boisterous notes of toffee, dark fruit, caramel, and oak character.
To view the complete list of foods, scan the QR code on the pole just after you enter the park or follow this link.
Cable Car Kitchen (open select days and outside the park)
- Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Funnel Cake
- Butter Cake Funnel Cake
- Masapan Funnel Cake
Farm Bakery (outside the park)
- Gourmet Mint Chocolate Cookie with a Peppermint Mousse and a mini Grasshopper Pie
- Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Rice Krispie Treat
- Dubai Chocolate Bar
- Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bar
Knott's Merry Farm Merchandise 2025
Buy some unique gifts in Ghost Town at several craft booths with hand-made items (some accept cash). The souvenir mug is $12.99 plus tax. Pay $2.49 for each refill on return visits through Jan. 4, 2026.
You'll find clothing, toys and a variety of take-home foods. The bubble wands have interactive stations in the park! They also interact with the new holiday light you can carry in the park.
Tips for Festive Fun
Here are some hoppin' tips to make the most of Knott's Merry Farm:
- Buy the Fast Lane pass to ensure the froglets get on all the rides they want to during your visit. Or arrive early to get a head start before the crowds arrive. Ghost Rider often opens 30 minutes before the park opens, so it's worth arriving 45 to 60 minutes before park opening.
- Follow this link for the full list of holiday foods and merchandise.
- Be sure to read up on the Knott's chaperone policy.
- Catch the snowfall near the Blacksmith or on Schoolhouse Road in Ghost Town — don't be late. It's quick but oh so special.
- Enjoy the holiday lights in Camp Snoopy and meet Peanuts characters in their holiday best, including Snoopy.
- Arrive early for shows (show times in the app).
- Check the weather and dress in layers, as California winter weather tends to be cold in the mornings, warm in the afternoons, but then chilly again in the evenings.
- Use the Knott's Berry Farm app to see a park map and list of showtimes/character meet and greets and fun holiday food.
- Bring water and snacks for the long day, but save room for lots of sweet and savory treats!
- Consider getting an all-day dining plan to eat a meal every 90 minutes, or get the plan that comes with a refillable souvenir bottle and a meal or snack every 90 minutes.
- If you can, try and stay until after the sun goes down. The true magic of Knott’s Merry Farm happens with the Christmas tree lighting, and the festive vignettes and lights found throughout the park.
- On New Year's Eve, you can experience live shows, entertainment and midnight fireworks.
- Bring credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay to pay for food and merchandise since Knott's is cashless. Knott's has Cash-to-Card kiosks in the park in case you load cash into a card. Some of the craft venders do accept cash.
- Hop by the cemetery to see the grave of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Have questions about Knott’s Merry Farm? Ask us questions in the comments below! You can get your discount Go City passes to use at Knott's Merry Farm through Undercover Tourist.
Related: ~Toadally~ Must-Try Eats at Knott's Berry Farm
Related: The Full Lineup of Beary-Good Knott's Berry Farm Events
Hoppy planning!
