There are SO many things I love about this time of year at Knott’s but most of all, the start of the Boysenberry Festival! The festival runs from March 16 through April 8 and this year’s festival is better than ever!
If you’ve never experienced it before, the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is a must-do! This annual food-inspired event celebrates the park’s historic roots by highlighting the little berry that started it all…the boysenberry. 
This year’s festival will feature over 75 new and returning boysenberry-inspired creations crafted by Knott’s amazing culinary team.
Park guests will have the opportunity to indulge in a tantalizing lineup of treats ranging from savory foods with a boysenberry twist to refreshingly sweet and tangy. There are many one-of-a-kind specialty desserts that can only be found at Knott’s Berry Farm during this time of the year, which is why I seriously recommend heading to the festival at least once before April 8.
Did you know that the boysenberry is a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry and is named after its originator Rudolf Boysen. The Knott family was the first to successfully harvest and sell the boysenberry on the land that is now known as Knott’s Berry Farm.
Guests at Knott’s Boysenberry Festival will find boysenberry specialty food and drinks throughout the park and can navigate their taste buds using the Event Guide. 
A great option for guests to indulge in a variety of new and returning food items during the festival is the tasting card.
Priced at just $30, the tasting card is a great value and offers 8 of the new food options per card and! Here’s another cool part about it, if there’s something on the tasting card you might not care to try, you can use the tasting card vouchers for a different item on it. I may have used mine to get not 1 but TWO of the boysenberry coconut macaroons on my visit! Mmm! Please note: Signature boysenberry items not offered on the tasting card are available for purchase a la carte.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the 8 offerings on this year’s festival tasting card!
Slow Cooked Boysenberry Short Rib – Slow cooked to perfection, this juicy meat is smothered in boysenberry hoisin sauce served over butter basmati rice and complete with chopped green onions will leave guests asking for more.
Boysenberry Pierogies – These are new for this year and are like little pillows filled with cheddar cheese and topped with onions, bacon and boysenberry sour cream. The pierogies are a bursting a combination of sweet and savory flavors.
Boysenberry Chicken Wings – The guest favorite and finger-lickin’ boysenberry chicken wings will be available during the festival; the irresistible wings are smothered in the delicious and popular boysenberry BBQ sauce which is made exclusively at the Farm.
Boysenberry Coconut Marcaroon – Sweets and desserts are a key part of the festival and this year the culinary team is introducing the scrumptious, perfectly bite-sized boysenberry coconut macaroons, dipped in a decadent chocolate ganache, which are great to enjoy while strolling through the park. 
Boysenberry Elote – The boysenberry elote is one of the satisfying treats guests will be able to find in the streets of Ghost Town. The lightly grilled corn is smothered in fresh boysenberry butter, mayo and perfectly topped off with cotija cheese.
Boysenberry Hummus with Grilled Pita Bread – a new vegetarian/vegan option like the highly enjoyable boysenberry hummus served with pita bread and prepared with garden-fresh boysenberries.
Boysenberry Cheese Quesadilla – Another new item for this year is the first ever boysenberry quesadilla! Made with a boysenberry-infused flour tortilla, prepared with boysenberry salsa, boysenberry sour cream, sprinkled with cotija and mozzarella cheese, it’s so delicious!
Boysenberry Sausage on a Bun – This is a popular item for meat lovers! This very filling boysenberry grilled sausage on a bun prepared with a freshly farm-baked roll and topped with boysenberry ketchup, relish and mustard.
Tasting cards for the Boysenberry Festival are available for purchase online at Knotts.com or else inside the Park.
In addition to the tasty treats, the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of daily entertainment, live music and fun activities for guests of all ages to enjoy. Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is just another great reason to consider grabbing a Knott’s Season Pass for everyone in your family. With no blackout dates, you can go back and visit the Boysenberry Festival several times before it goes away after April 8!
For more information about Knott’s Boysenberry Festival, please go here. Connect with Knott’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and join in the conversation on social media by using and following #BoysenberryFestival!
This year, you can meet the Easter Bunny at Irvine Park Railroad beginning Saturday, March 10. He’ll be around for photo opportunities through Saturday, March 31. For the cost of $12.00, children can meet and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny. The cost includes a complimentary photo that will be taken by Irvine Park Railroad staff. Each additional print of the same photo is $6.00. Photos will be printed in a few, short minutes at the Easter Bunny booth. It’s a great keepsake to commemorate this fun occasion and save for your child’s babybook or scrapbook.
Easter egg hunts – hunts begin daily at 10:00 AM and are grouped by ages. Tickets may be purchased and exchanged for a wristband to participate in an egg hunt at a specific time. Please bring an Easter basket for each child that will be participating in the Easter egg hunt.
Irvine Park Railroad will also offer Easter baskets for sale. Easter egg Tickets must be purchased on the day of the event to receive a wristband for the Easter egg hunt.
Train rides – The cost for train tickets is $5.00 per person. (Children 12 months and younger ride free.)
Other activities to enjoy during the Easter Eggstravaganza include:
While you’re at Irvine Regional Park, why not make an entire day of it and and visit the park’s other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the OC Zoo.
Irvine Park Railroad opens daily at 10:00 AM. Irvine Park Railroad is located at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869. Please note: The park entrance fee, charged by the County of Orange, is $3.00 per vehicle on weekdays and $5.00 per vehicle on weekends.
A highlight this year, for the first time Great Wolf Lodge is partnering with 
During Spring-A-Palooza, families can visit a lemonade stand in the Grand Lobby for complimentary lemonade to be enjoyed together picnic-style. As a special twist this year, exclusive color changing cups will be sold for $2.50, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the cups will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a charity whose mission is to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure cancer. Great Wolf Lodge anticipates at least $15,000 will be donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation through the sale of the keepsake Spring-A-Palooza cups.
In addition to the partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, other highlights of Spring-a-Palooza include:
For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor water park resorts, visit 
The free family event will kick off with an Easter egg hunt at 12 noon, beginning in Kaleidoscope’s courtyard. Passport cards will be given out to the first 350 children, directing them to the participating shops and restaurants where they will receive candy-filled eggs and prizes. The completed passports can then be handed in for a chance to win a Grand Easter Basket. Children should bring their own baskets to collect eggs.
Kaleidoscope’s Easter Party will also offer a complimentary photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny for guests who bring their own camera, as well as:
While you’re at Kaleidoscope, why not stop by 
For more information about this fun, free family event, please call Kaleidoscope at (949) 542-4407. Connect with Kaleidoscope on 
The Anniversary Celebration will also feature other $2.00 activities such as:
Attendees at the celebration will also enjoy $2 concessions including hot dogs, sodas, ice creams, and popcorn. There will also be FREE giveaways including Irvine Park Railroad balloons (one per child, please). The $2 tickets are valid during the Anniversary Celebration weekend only. Coupons, discounts and/or any other promotions are not valid on the anniversary celebration dates.
Irvine Park Railroad is open year round (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Our annual events include the Easter Eggstravaganza, Anniversary Celebration, Pumpkin Patch, Fourth Grade California History Education Program, and Christmas Train. Please visit 
While at Irvine Regional Park, be sure and visit the parks other activities including Wheel Fun Rentals® at Irvine Park bike and paddle boat rentals, pony rides and the Orange County Zoo.
The park entrance fee is $5.00 per vehicle. Irvine Park Railroad opens daily at 10:00 AM. The cost for train tickets during the Anniversary Celebration weekend is $2.00 per ticket; children younger than 12 months ride free. Irvine Park Railroad is located inside of Irvine Regional Park at 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869.
For more information about Irvine Park Railroad, please visit www.irvineparkrailroad.com.
During Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, guests can encounter The Peanuts Gang in the park, including Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock and a couple others. Also, for the very first time at Knott’s, the Peanuts Gang is joined by their friend PigPen, everyone’s favorite messy pal!
The all-new Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration is uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters. The park celebrates the world Charles M. Schultz created and is currently. adorned with PEANUTS inspired décor. Guests can check out new character experiences, comic strip inspired photo opportunities, deliciously themed-treats and new whimsical shows.
One-of-a-Kind Peanuts Photo Opportunities
In addition to the photo backdrops created especially for this celebration, you’ll find other photo opportunities throughout the park with the Peanuts characters. If you’re looking for PigPen, you can find him in the PigPen’s Pig Pen, located in Ghost Town, (a.k.a. the Livery Stable) with his animal friends. PigPen is available for photos throughout the day.
Special Peanuts Celebration Entertainment
The Music Goes ’round and ’round – Join in on the daytime fun, held on the Calico Mine Stage, as Sally and Schroder host a retrospect of music and have guests dancing in the aisles! .
Woodstock’s Music Festival – This nighttime festival is held on the Calico Mine Stage and features the Peanuts Gang as they’re joined by the family-friendly indie band The Jelly of the Month Club. This high energy rock concert is fun for the whole family. .
Peanuts Sketch School
As you go through the drawing lesson, the instructor also provided fun and interesting facts about the character. After class is dismissed, a special showing of a classic PEANUTS television special is shown. If you are bringing children, I suggest arriving a little early so they can get a seat on the stage. There is plenty of seating available though for all guests.
Peanuts Celebration Treats 
There are 16 special Peanuts Celebration treats offered throughout the park including Charlie Brownies, Charlie Brown cotton candy, Peanuts Characters cupcakes, Chocolate Covered Apples, Charlie Brown Marshmallow Pops, Snoopy Cookies, and more. After sampling many of them, I cannot wait to go back and try some more.
Have you had a chance to experience Knott’s Peanuts Celebration yet? If not, be sure to do so before it ends on February 25. It’s absolutely adorable and I can assure you, you’ll have a great time!
Also announced, popular craft brewer Ballast Point will open its first Orange County
The newly introduced event will take place on weekends beginning January 27th through February 25th plus President’s Day, February 19th. The limited time celebration unites fans of all ages to join in on the fun and friendship of the most adventurous group around by introducing new ways for guests to play and interact with the PEANUTS Gang throughout the park.
Have you heard? For the first time ever at Knott’s, guests will have the opportunity to meet PigPen from the PEANUTS Gang! He’ll be over in the Livery Stable with his new animal friends! 
Our family is so excited to check out the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration on opening weekend and will be sharing more photos, videos & info about it on my Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter, so be sure to follow along. Will you be stopping by Knott’s to check out the all-new PEANUTS Celebration? For more information or to purchase park tickets ahead of time, please visit
Right now, with all of the season’s hustle and bustle, Brea Mall is a great place to find something for everyone on your holiday shopping list. It’s also a great place to find something for yourself, while you’re there. I absolutely love their holiday decor this year. Everything looks so festive and really gets you in the holiday spirit and excited to shop! 
I was invited to a special Holiday Gift Guide sneak peek event at Brea Mall, to get a closer look at some of the top gifts at Brea Mall this year. There were several retailers there, showcasing some of their most popular gifting items for this year year. It was a fun event and helped me put together this Brea Mall Holiday Gift Guide Light bites and sips for the event, were provided by Nordstrom Cafe and CPK. 
Williams-Sonoma – This is a great place to shop for the gourmet on your list. Offering a selection of professional-quality cookware, small kitchen appliances, cooking utensils, and decor to match your cooking and entertaining style. They also have a great selection of gourmet foods for purchase. I loved all of their holiday place settings and decor. They also offer the Insta-Pot at a great price! It’s the hottest item right now in the cooking world.
Lululemon – As a top brand for workout wear, Lululemon is a “go-to” stop for men and women of all ages. Their workout attire is both quality and fashionable. They also have an entire line of “Athleisure” clothes that allow you to be fashionable and comfy at the same time. If you’re traveling, their new winter pieces, including warm jackets, offer warmth and comfort without being heavy. How perfect would they be for winter travel? 
Swarovski – Nothing shines like Swarovski crystals. They have some beautiful jewelry pieces as well as gifts for friends, colleagues, and teachers on your list. This year they even have several Star Wars-inspired pieces. 
Kiehl’s – This year, Kiehl’s collaborated with Disney to create a collectible and adorable line of products together that you’ll want to get your hands on. This line of skin and body care is for men and women and benefits Feeding America. Together, Kiehl’s and Disney are working to raise 1.1 million meals for those in need through this collaboration. It’s a great line of products that came just in time for the holidays.
Godiva – Chocolate and Christmas go hand in hand and Godiva has treats and gifts perfect for gift giving to family, friends, and colleagues. There are beautifully arranged gift baskets already wrapped up and ready to give. You can also have a hand-selected box of chocolates packed. There are so many beautiful collections in the store, you just have to stop by to see them. Be sure to grab a treat for yourself while you’re there, too. 
Typo – You can find a great range of gifts, stationery, art, craft, decor, cards, decorations, lighting and seasonal gifts and more at Typo. 
Ben Bridge Jewelers – If you’re looking for a special piece of jewelry to give as a holiday gift, there are so many exquisite pieces in the store. Their Toscano Collection of handmade pieces is exclusive to Ben Bridge. In addition to jewelry for all occasions, you can also select from beautiful time pieces by top brands for both men and women. 
BoxLunch -This is another retailer I love because they give back to those in need. BoxLunch is the destination to shop for pop culture-inspired gifts, accessories and apparel for men & women. 
Morphe – One of the Brea Mall’s newest retailers to open is Morphe, If yo haven’t caught wind of Morphe on social media, it’s an amazing cosmetic brand that offers the latest looks in makeup in an affordable price range. They will also help you achieve whatever look you’re envisioning for yourself this holiday season. In addition to the cosmetics, Morphe offers false eyelashes, brush sets, and other gifting options for the beauty lover on your list.
Microsoft Store – Right now, if you stop by the Microsoft Store in the mall, you can tell them your “wish” this holiday season and it might even be selected to come true! While you’re there, you can also check out the full line of products fit for the tech needs in your life.
Be sure to stop by these retailers when you visit Brea Mall, in addition to all of the other specialty shops. I can assure you, you will knock out all of your holiday shopping in this great destination shopping location.
Brea Mall has tons of great gifting options for your holiday needs! You can also purchase Simon gift cards, as well as many other kinds of gift cards at Customer Service, which is located in next to Starbucks. Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? If not, consider stopping by Brea Mall soon.