What is a Boysenberry?

A boysenberry is a dark purple hybrid berry that is made up of three different types of berries.The boysenberry is a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry, and blackberry.  

The History

Walter Knott contributed to the Boysenberry but the real mastermind is Rudolf Boysen. He is a Swedish immigrant who had a ranch in the Napa Valley area of California. Boysen experimented with new varieties and cross-breeds of flowers and berry plants. Although Boysen’s experiment did well and produced large berries, over time he happened to neglected his plants and sold his ranch when he moved down to southern California.

Thankfully, before he did so he passed on some of the hybrid plants to another farmer. This farmer, who eventually got in touch with a man named Mr. George Darrow at the US Department of Agriculture. Darrow saw the potential in the plants and got Walter Knott to assist in tracking down Rudolf Boysen. Eventually, after some trial and error, the Boysenberry vines were seen to be an incredibly successful hybrid berry plant.

Walter Knott himself started a “Taste of Boysenberry Festival”. This was the perfect way that he was able to  introduce this delicious hybrid berry to the public. The Boysenberry quickly became popular with the public because of how the berry tasted.

Overview

The Boysenberry Festival is a must-attend food and wine festival. The festival includes over 70 delicious Boysenberry-inspired dishes, limited edition merchandise, and fun shows that the whole family can enjoy. The Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm runs every spring.

In addition to the numerous food and drink offerings, the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival offers a wide selection of local crafters, live music, musical stage shows, and fun activities for guests of all ages. This year’s event festival will include all new food offerings featuring a selection of more than two dozen food and drink items. 

Visitors can purchase a tasting card to the festival that includes six boysenberry tastings from a list of over 30 items. Some of the items include boysenberry BBQ meatball pizza, boysenberry bread pudding, Beef Barbacoa over Mac & Cheese with a Boysenberry Chipotle Crema, Boysenberry Mango Lemonade with Mint, Cucumber Lemonade with Raspberries and Boysenberries, and so much more. 

Boysenberry Interviews

Victoria Wade, travel blogger, expressed her thoughts on the festival. “The boysenberry festival was always something I anticipated visiting because of its history with the park itself. The ability that the berry has to help grow a whole theme park and still positively affect the business today is charming.” Some tips Wade has for other fair-goers are, “I would highly recommend grabbing the festival lanyard so you can try food and beverage offerings with ease and save money.”