By Charly SHELTON

As spring begins to bloom across Southern California, Knott’s Berry Farm is once again rolling out the purple carpet for its eagerly anticipated Boysenberry Festival, set to open this Friday, March 8. Ahead of the grand festivities, CV Weekly was among the privileged few invited to an exclusive taste test event, offering us a first bite of the boysenberry bounty that awaits festival-goers.

This year’s festival promises an array of boysenberry-infused goodies, each specifically chosen to showcase the versatility of Knott’s signature fruit. From savory options like the boysenberry barbecue beef barbacoa on mac and cheese or Spam musubi with a boysenberry soy sauce to the sweeter side with the brownie bite and boysenberry parfait, and the classic boysenberry cobbler, this berry can do it all.

One standout among the dishes we tried was the boysenberry pulled pork over pastel de elote. This redefines comfort food with its blend of toothsome pulled pork in a tangy barbecue sauce resting atop a bed of moist, crumbly corn cake that is somewhere between cornbread and corn pudding. The boysenberry flavor wasn’t super strong, but the flavors of the dish were incredible. It’s everything you love from a classic cookout meal all at once.

For the sweeter side, the best in show was a bit surprising. Going up against a boysenberry parfait, brownies, lemon bars and even the boysenberry cobbler, one has to assume that the dessert to beat all that must be something special. The vegan boysenberry chia parfait, surprisingly, stole the show. It offers a refreshing, guilt-free indulgence layering the tartness of boysenberry preserves at the bottom then the creamy texture of chia seeds swimming in a vanilla pudding of sorts, and then topped with a bright pop of acidity from fresh berries culminating in a parfait that’s not only delicious and well-balanced but surprising to the diner how good a vegan dessert can be made predominantly from chia seeds.

But the Boysenberry Festival is more than just a feast for the taste buds. This year, Knott’s pays homage to its rich history with the introduction of Betty Boysen, a cheerful boysenberry character inspired by a 1944 billboard. Betty, now immortalized as a plush collectible, will be playing hide and seek throughout the festival adding an extra layer of fun and nostalgia to the event.

For those eager to take a piece of the festival home, the merchandise selection does not disappoint. Everything is boysenberry themed, from the spirit jerseys to the giant boysenberry sipper to the boysenberry pie slice slippers (yes, they are two giant slices of pie to wear on your feet), each item is a testament to the berry that started it all.

Knott’s Boysenberry Festival officially opens on Friday, March 8 and CV Weekly will be there to try it all, so be sure to check back in our next issue for full coverage. In the meantime, watch our full video coverage of the taste test event and dive into every dish and drink that was previewed by scanning the attached QR code or searching for Charly Shelton/Zipahdeedoodad on YouTube.

Prepare your palate for a boysenberry bonanza as Knott’s Berry Farm once again proves why its Boysenberry Festival is a can’t-miss culinary celebration.

See you at the farm!