It’s time to break out your blankie and your mini baby grand piano, because Charles M. Schulz’s classic characters are back at America’s first theme park for Knott’s Peanuts Celebration! Uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved characters, guests can step inside the pages of a Charles M. Schulz comic strip as the PEANUTS characters take over the entire park (and add even more fun to Camp Snoopy).
PEANUTS inspired decor and story elements provide the perfect animated backdrop for your family day of fun. With plenty of character experiences, activities, live entertainment, and deliciously themed-treats, this whimsical celebration will delight everyone…and HorrorBuzz was there on opening day to check it all out for you!
The moment you step into Knott’s, you can find some fantastic photo ops, literally allowing you to get inside the comic strip. Find Snoopy stealing your blanket to pretending to be Woodstock, these are a great way to kick off the day’s fun. And of course, Snoopy himself is there to take photos and say hello!
And what’s a PEANUTS celebration without a ton of fun meet and greets? The entire gang are ALL out in force, located all over the park for some fun photo ops. From the Ghost Town stable, to the frontier stage, to Camp Snoopy, you will never be short of interacting with the PEANUTS characters. And best of all, Spike is finally here to say hello! He is by far my favorite PEANUTS character, so it was awesome to see him.
In addition to those character interactions, there are a lot of fun “pop-up” photo ops in the park, such as “thought bubbles” making a return from last year, along with a stand to convert your recorded message into “teacher speak,” as made famous by the teacher in the PEANUTS cartoons. Very cool stuff!
Camp Snoopy Theater has the return of Space Beagle, the fantastic show from last year, with a new song and some new bits. While it is a kid’s show, it actually is pretty adorable, and I will admit, had me chuckle out loud a few times.
Over in Ghost Town, the festivities continue at the Bird Cage Theatre, as a seasoned artist will teach you how to draw your favorite characters in The PEANUTS Sketch School. These step-by-step instructions make it easy for kids and adults alike to create a masterpiece. Master artist Noel really helped me break out my inner artist and made me look like Picasso!
If you’re looking for a challenge, Franklin and Linus are in Calico Park, and have some of the rootiniest, tootinest games in Calico. Also in Ghost Town, Pig Pen has transformed the stables into his own meet and greet, along with some of his favorite animal friends in attendance. Who doesn’t want to pet a horse? There is even an mini-museum of the history of football in the PEANUTS cartoons in Ghost Town for those who want to learn more!
There are also TWO musical shows for guests over at the Calico Mine Stage this year. During the day, the brand new “Happiness Is” show will have the audience dancing in the aisles. It was a lot of fun and featured some great little “stunts” thanks to some hidden trampolines. During the evening, the stage turns into Woodstock’s Musical Festival, where the PEANUTS Gang is joined by The Jelly of the Month Club. And if that isn’t enough nighttime entertainment for you, Fiesta Village can uncover Discoteca de Silencio, the park’s first silent disco. Put on some headphones, and have some fun with Snoopy’s brother Spike.
In addition, there are some pretty fantastic PEANUTS-themed treats to munch on. Everything looked so delicious and I wanted to have one of each! The chefs at Knott’s really go all out with these celebrations, and it’s so fun to see what they create.
Seriously, I had a blast wandering around the park on Saturday exploring the PEANUTS Celebration. Even beyond that, it was great to take in the park’s natural charm and wander the pathways. The rustic history is still present during the event, so if you need a breather, take a walk through the Western Trails museum or explore the old school house. There is a lot of cool history at the park, and you really shouldn’t miss it.
Again, the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration runs weekends from January 25 through March 11, and also on February 10, 14, and 17! For more information, buy tickets, or even get your season pass (I have one!), visit them online at: https://www.knotts.com/
