Knott’s Merry Farm will be back in full force this holiday season, with seasonal stage shows, food and crafts returning after a 2020 break. 

The traditional Knott’s Berry Farm event will run from Nov. 19, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2022. On select dates, the park will offer the following stage shows:

  • “Home for the Holidays” at the Calico Mine Stage, described as “dancing and fun set to popular holiday tunes” in a Knott’s press release.
  • “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” and “Marley’s Wing” at the Bird Cage Theatre, with the ghost of Jacob Marley (Scrooge’s dead business partner from the 1843 Dickens tale) bringing in songs such as “”Raise the Rafters,” “Christmas in Heaven,” and “The Bah Hum Bug.”
  • “A Peanuts Guide to Christmas” at the Camp Snoopy Theatre, with the Peanuts characters offering “their take and unique wisdom on surviving the holidays while singing a mashup of their favorite holiday tunes.”
  • The “Merry Christmas, Snoopy!” ice show at the Walter Knott Theatre, featuring Snoopy preparing for Santa’s arrival. 

“A Peanuts Guide to Christmas” (Knott’s)

Outside of the stage shows, Knott’s Merry Farm will feature plenty of live performances, including the Calico Carolers in the streets of Ghost Town, swing music at the Bordwalk Ballroom, and Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies at the Wagon Camp stage. 

For those in the mood for shopping, the park’s Christmas Craft Village will return with “dozens of local artisans selling their unique gifts, including chainsaw wood carvings and elegant glass blowing,” according to Knott’s.  

It wouldn’t be a Knott’s event without a seasonal menu, and Merry Farm will sport favorites like breaded turkey bites filled with stuffing and cranberry sauce and apple pie spiced loaves. Kids can also decorate cookies at Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen.

Santa’s Christmas Cabin (Knott’s)

Guests can also get their family photos taken with Santa Claus at the Wilderness Dance Hall, which will be known as Santa’s Christmas Cabin throughout the event.

The full-scale Merry Farm event is a stark contrast to what Knott’s was able to offer in 2020. The ride-less Taste of Merry Farm had to be canceled after Dec. 11, 2020 after surging COVID-19 cases in California led to a new stay-at-home order. Knott’s did not fully reopen until May.