BUENA PARK, Calif. — Boysenberry barbecue over parmesan grits. Boysenberry barbecue meatball pizza. Boysenberry cucumber lemonade.

It's that time of year again. The boysenberry season is back at Knott's Berry Farm.

What You Need To Know

  • Until April 16, Knott's Berry Farm will host its annual boysenberry festival

  • Every year, the Knott's Berry Farm food and beverage team creates a menu filled with boysenberry-themed food and drinks

  • The boysenberry is a purplish red fruit with a sweet tart flavor, created by Anaheim resident and horticulturist Ralph Boysen

  • Knott's Berry Farm officials say every boysenberry fruit in the world can be traced back to Knott's Berry Farm

From now until April 16, the theme park in Buena Park celebrates the hybrid fruit of blackberry, loganberry and raspberry that helped start Knott's Berry Farm.

"Guests will have the opportunity to indulge in a range of dishes, from savory foods with a boysenberry twist to one-of-a-kind specialty desserts and drinks that can only be found at Knott's Berry Farm during this time of the year," Knott's Berry Farm officials said in a news release.

Pictured here is the Boysenberry barbecue meatball pizza. (Photo courtesy of Knott's Berry Farm)

The Boysenberry Festival is one of Knott's Berry Farm's marquee themed-events. The annual event is unique, considering it celebrates the park's historical roots.

Anaheim horticulturist Rudolph Boysen created the boysenberry — a cross of a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry — and had Walter Knott commercialize the product in the 1920s and early 1930s. 

Walter and Cordelia Knott were farmers and fruit vendors. They sold boysenberry and other fruits and berries at a roadside stand in Buena Park. 

The two later opened Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant, which served fresh fried chicken and boysenberry pies that became so popular Walter created a themed ghost town area to keep guests occupied while waiting in line. That was the beginning of Ghost Town and what would be Knott's Berry Farm.

To this day, Knott's officials say every boysenberry in the world can trace its roots back to Knott's Berry Farm.

Pictured here is the Boysenberry barbecue over parmesan grits. (Photo courtesy of Knott's Berry Farm)

The boysenberry is a dark purplish red fruit with a sweet-tart flavor. 

Every year, the Knott's Berry Farm food and beverage team spends about a year creating a boysenberry-themed menu for guests to enjoy during the festival.

This year, some of the boysenberry dishes include:

  • Cauliflower bites with a boysenberry curry drizzle
  • Jambalaya with boysenberry sausage, chicken and shrimp
  • Salmon, cucumber and orzo drenched in a boysenberry dressing
  • Sweet corn nuggets with boysenberry honey
  • Boysenberry waffle topped with whipped cream and boysenberry maple syrup
  • Boysenberry mango lemonade
Pictured here are seasonal boysenberry-infused drinks. (Photo courtesy of Knott's Berry Farm)

Guests can purchase a six-item tasting card for $55 or purchase the food and beverage items a la carte. 

Along with the boysenberry-infused menu, the theme park offers many boysenberry-themed merchandise and craft vendors. It also provides a variety of entertainment and other events throughout the month-long festival.