My partner and I have been attending the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival together for 4 seasons now. Some years have been quite good (2024), some have been downright pathetic (2023). Regardless, I love all things purple, and despite not believing boysenberries are actually real (have YOU ever seen one? 🤔), a couple weeks ago we decided to make our annual spring trek down to Buena Park to check out the happenings. Below are a few of my thoughts:

\*ATMOSPHERE:\*

Make no mistake—weekends during March and April, Knott’s is BOOKED AND BUSY BBY. With that said, seeing so many people out enjoying our hobby (in a world increasingly overrun with AI and dwindling human interaction) was quite refreshing—the park truly felt \*alive\*. The boysenberry decor was thicc this year; probably the most gorgeous I can ever remember the park looking. The deep violet florals and themed set pieces especially pop against the dusty neutral aesthetic of Ghost Town, and with live entertainers abound in addition to every guest walking around with a boysenberry treat, the atmosphere really does feel special.

\*RIDES:\*

\*GhostRider:\*

Remember when I said the park was busy? Well, that doesn’t really matter here. Because whether there are 5,000 or 50,000 people at Knott’s on any given day, GhostRider will ALWAYS have a 2 hour queue. With that said… it’s a must-ride, every time. Whether GCI used Ipe wood or Vibranium for their refurb of this CCI modern classic back in 2016 is up for debate, because to this day it runs smooth as glass and yet still offers that out of control experience only a true woodie can provide. Beauty, length, sense of speed, surprising jolts of sustained airtime… this gal has it all, and 28 years later, she’s still the star of the show at KBF. (But please, please, please… can we reprogram that final block brake to speed up operations? We are desperate.) 10/10

\*Timber Mountain Log Ride:\*

I’m just going to say it. This is the best log ride in America. It feels weird to describe a log flume as speedy and smooth, but I’m genuinely taken aback every time I ride this attraction at how swiftly it makes its way through the course. Spoiler alert: the inside of the mountain is packed full of super cute hillbilly-themed show scenes and a great (and decent-sized) plunge in the dark. Add in the fact that the final splashdown only refreshes you with a light spritz and it truly doesn’t get much better than this. 10/10

\*Silver Bullet:\*

Ugh. I’m such a hater. Now, I LOVE me some B&M invert goodness, but Silver Bullet just doesn’t quite do it for me. As someone whose favorite part of most coasters is the first drop, Silver Bullet really starts off with a whimper. I mean it—I’ve ridden down accessibility-compliant ramps that were steeper. Now, it does have a few fun elements, like its unique overbank, the two corkscrews in succession, and an overwater helix finale, but in general, I think this says it all: it has such a prominent spot in the park (and in my photos), and yet I often forget it exists. 6/10

\*Xcelerator:\*

Honestly, where would we be without Intamin? After our recent, devastating losses in the genre, it’s really great to see the original hydraulic launch coaster standing strong—AND running two trains! That 0-82 moment really kicks you in the gut in the best way, and flying over that 205ft top hat is pure bliss. Overbanked turns do nothing for me, and after riding Beyond the Cloud at Suzhou, I can’t help but to think how amazing Xcelerator could be with an extended layout; alas, this coaster hits hard every time and I hope she sticks around for a while. 8/10

\*FOOD:\*

\*-Favorite Item:\* Boysenberry Bulgogi — this delicacy from the tasting card was supposed to be served over steamed rice, which I’m sure would’ve been great; however, at 5pm the park had run out of rice, and therefore, we were served the bulgogi over white cheddar mac n’ cheese… HOLY COW (no pun intended). This combo was incredible. The sweet but lightly-spicy thinly-sliced beef was fantastic on its own, but paired with the rich, savory macaroni… shew. Talk about a happy accident. Please, sir, I want some more.

\*-Least Favorite Item:\* Reuben Ball with Spicy Boysenberry Thousand Island Dressing — honestly, this thing wasn’t even bad. I enjoyed the dressing, but the dominating ingredient in the ball was sauerkraut, which I’m not a huge fan of. Now, I know you’re thinking, “…Daniel, why would you get a Reuben Ball if you don’t like sauerkraut?” And that’s simply because I had ordered the boysenberry orange chicken lettuce wraps (apparently the chef’s favorite), but they had just run out, and I crumbled under pressure. Still, it was fine—just couldn’t live up to the other items we tried.

\*FINAL THOUGHTS:\*

Overall, we tried 6 items on the tasting card for a total of $55 + tax. Portion sizes of both food and drinks were substantial this year, which is a great change from seasons past.

With the park feeling as lively as ever, the festival items fresh and scrumptious, and the rides running well, it was a truly memorable day at the 2026 Knott’s Boysenberry Festival.

For an even more in-depth review, please give my new vlog a watch and a like over on YouTube at DANIEL RIDES COASTERS (link below). Thanks for reading and watching—more fun to come VERY soon! 

😊🎢🎡🤗🍇

\[FULL BOYSENBERRY FESTIVAL VLOG REVIEW\](https://youtu.be/pjWQipdVTUk?si=z2hVO\_IrJwVef4l6)

 

\-Daniel Rides Coasters

[Knott’s Berry Farm] Boysenberry Festival Review