Laughing Lindsay

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Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Tips

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Last year, I took a solo trip across the country to visit the great state of California. While there, I had the pleasure of experiencing Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival! It was towards the end of the event last year, so I didn’t write a post. However, this year’s event kicks-off in just a few days. So, I thought I would do a little guide with tips for anyone out there planning a trip!

Knott's Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

For those who don’t know, Knott’s Berry Farm is a theme park in California. In fact, it’s just minutes away from Disneyland! I visited Knott’s while staying at the Sheraton Park Hotel, however I considered staying at their hotel. The fact it was undergoing refurbishment and didn’t have a working restaurant is the only reason I didn’t stay there on that trip. However, if I go back I’d like to stay there and explore that area a little more.

For those interested, you can read the full boysenberry history on the theme park’s blog. I recommend reading it if you plan on visiting. Suffice it to say: this hybrid berry is what started Knott’s Berry Farm and why the boysenberry festival is an annual tradition to this day!

2024 Festival

Something to keep in mind whenever visiting non-Universal/Disney theme parks is that other parks aren’t always open everyday or have their festivals going on every single day. That being said, the Boysenberry Festival will be taking place everyday between March 8 and April 7 and then weekends only until April 28. So, if you want to experience the festival, there’s a small window to catch it.

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Tips

  • Visit early – I visited on the last weekend of the festival last year. I pre-purchased a shirt and pin for the festival online. However, upon entering the park I discovered that they had sold out of all but a few festival shirts. So, I wasn’t able to get said shirt and received a refund. If specialty merch is important to you, I encourage you to visit early in the festival for the best selection.
  • Arrive early – I went on a Friday in May (they extended the festival last year) and was shocked by the crowds! Apparently, it’s a massively popular end of the year field trip for lots of California schools. I rope dropped the park and still encountered long lines for everything. My advice is to rope drop one important ride and maybe go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Also, pay for the skip the line offering if rides are important. Also, grab food early as lines got long.
  • Check out the entertainment schedule – Granted, I attended a day that was considered part of the extension. However, I was disappointed to learn after planning my trip that Knott’s didn’t have some of the regular festival entertainment on the day I attended as it was seemingly reserved for the weekends. I’ve heard good things about the shows at this park, but I was unable to experience them for myself.
  • Make a plan – This festival is known for fun food offerings. So, I highly recommend examining the menus and watching YouTube videos for food reviews to make your selections before you visit the park.
  • Buy the Festival Tasting Card – I purchased the Boysenberry Festival Bundle last year, which included admission to the park as well as 3 food items from the festival. That made for a fun lunch and seemed like a good value to me. The regular 6 Festival Tasting Card seems like a great value as well.
  • Download the app – The official app has a map along with show times.

Why I would go back

As you might have noticed, I encountered some issues when I visited last year. However, the food was really good. In fact, thanks to this trip I learned that I loved a new berry. So, now I get excited whenever I stumble upon something with boysenberries in it and buy it. Ha! I wouldn’t mind going back on a weekday in early March or April to get the full experience. Have you ever experienced the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival?

Spring in Pigeon Forge, TN

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If you are wondering what all there is to do during spring in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Tennessee, then I have the post for you! Keep reading to see where you should plan to visit on your trip!

Spring in Pigeon Forge

Spring in Pigeon Forge

This time of the year is the perfect time to head outdoors and experience nature! That’s why the Great Smoky Mountains make a great travel destination! From a theme park to a bbq festival, there’s lots to do here!

Dollywood in Spring

There are actually two different festivals happening in spring 2023 at Dollywood, as I detailed in my spring at Dollywood post last week. Depending on when you go, you can experience the I Will Always Love You Celebration or the Flower and Food Festival! Check out my post to learn more about both of these exciting events!

Skyland Ranch

Last year, the first chair lift in Pigeon Forge opened! It’s at a place called Skyland Ranch! The chair lift should provide the perfect view of Pigeon Forge anytime of the year!

Spring Rod Run

Personally, I’ve never experienced this event. However, I know that it’s an extremely popular event. In fact, there’s a spring and a fall Pigeon Forge Rod Run! In 2023, the dates are April 13 -15 and September 14 – 16. So, if you are a car enthusiast, this may be the event for you!

Spring at Anakeesta

Another place I like to highlight for fun in spring in Pigeon Forge is actually in Gatlinburg. Anakeesta is a mountaintop attraction with several different events happening throughout the year. In 2023, you can experience the new nighttime event Astra Lumina! Then, April 14th through May 29th, they will have Blooms and Tunes happening! So, there’s something fun for everyone to enjoy! Personally, I enjoy just walking around and taking in all of nature’s beauty! I also love the gnome village!

Music in the Mountains Spring Parade

I’ve also never experienced this event. However, the Music in the Mountains Spring Parade is happening on April 28th at 5 PM on the Pigeon Forge Parkway! I imagine it would be a great way to enjoy spring in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Bloomin’ BBQ Festival

If you happen to be visiting the area on May 19th or 20th, then you are in luck! You can experience the awesome Bloomin’ BBQ Festival! There are several tasty bbq vendors as well as good bluegrass music to hear at this awesome event in Sevierville! I attended this event last year. Unfortunately, it was un-seasonably hot last year and I didn’t get to enjoy the music as much as I would have liked to. However, I absolutely loved the bbq I tried!

Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains

As you can see, there are so many things to do in spring in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevierville, TN! So, which of these things have you or will you experience?

If you are visiting the area during other seasons, here are my other posts to help you plan:

Spring at Dollywood

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Now that it’s mid-March you may be wondering what you can expect during spring at Dollywood. I visited last year around this time, so I thought I would share some highlights of this season at the theme park!

Spring at Dollywood

Spring at Dollywood

In recent years, Dollywood has hosted different festivals depending on when you visit. There’s the classic Dollywood: Flower & Food Festival as well as the newer I Will Always Love You Music Festival. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the park for both festivals and will highlight some of the things at each of them in this post.

I Will Always Love You Music Festival

If you are planning to visit the theme park between mid-March and mid-April, then you can enjoy the newest event at DW: I Will Always Love You Music Festival. This event celebrates Dolly’s hit song! The park will be highlighting song writing as well as Dolly’s style of music in general during this event. In 2025, I wrote a I Will Always Love You Music Festival Guide detailing what fun there is to be had during this celbration.

Since this event celebrates the anniversary of the song being written, it makes sense that there’s so many performances to catch! Plus, the regular entertainment around the park will incorporate some of Dolly’s favorite songs into their performances! Check out the park’s schedule when you are visiting to see which special performances you can catch during this event.

There’s also some special event decorations in the Showstreet area as well as Market Square! You can also find and purchase some special event merchandise! Plus, there’s some special event foods throughout the park to sample! Overall, this is a great addition to the park.

Flower and Food Festival

If you are heading to Dollywood from mid-April to early June, then you can experience the beautiful Flower and Food Festival! This is a great event as there are so many great things to see and eat! I loved walking around and taking pictures of the wonderful Mosaicultures. Plus, don’t miss the wonderful umbrella sky! You can view both of these things as well as some food in my Instagram post below!

When my mom and I visited last year, it was a rainy day. However, it was still nice to walk around the park and take pictures. We really enjoyed getting a sampler pass and trying all different kinds of foods from the festival. You can see even more food in this other Instagram post:

Spring Fun

As you can see, there’s lots to see, hear, and eat when you take a spring at Dollywood visit! So, do you have plans to visit during either of these festivals? If not, I highly recommend visiting during summer at Dollywood! Additionally, Christmas in the park is awesome as is their Great Pumpkin Lumi-Nights!

Spring in Orlando Theme Parks

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I know that lots of people plan trips to align with school breaks. So, I thought I would do a post highlighting the various festivals happening during spring in Orlando theme parks!

Spring in Orlando

Spring in Orlando

March and April tend to be very popular times to visit the theme parks since lots of kids have school breaks. So, many of the theme parks have special events to give the crowds more to experience as well as to draw more people in. Here’s a look at those special events happening in spring in Orlando in 2023!

Flower and Garden Festival

Walt Disney World hosts the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival every spring and it’s one of the most beautiful times to visit this park. In years past, I have loved walking around the park and viewing the topiaries. Disney brings out some of the same topiaries every year, however they also refresh a few and add a couple new ones every year. So, it never gets stale. This year, they added a Princess Tiana and Encanto topiaries! Plus, there’s loads of beautiful landscaping around every corner!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the food at this festival. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much experience in eating food at this festival as I do with Epcot Festival of the Arts. However, in 2019 I really enjoyed the grilled street corn and would love to eat it again! This festival does a great job of highlighting fresh, in season fruits and vegetables.

Not to be out done in the entertainment category, Disney also hosts the Garden Rocks Concert Series during this festival. Some of the performers I’d be quite excited to see. Others, I’m not as familiar with, but I’d be happy to give them a listen. Note: the last concert is on July 3rd.

If you are heading to Walt Disney World between now and July 5th, I highly recommend spending at least half a day at Epcot just for this festival.

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando

I already wrote an entire Universal Orlando Mardi Gras 2023 Guide. So, you know that I’m a huge fan of this fun spring event. I also wrote a review of the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine add-on last month. If you are planning to visit Universal Orlando Resort between now and April 16th, then you too can experience Mardi Gras at UO! Unfortunately, the last concert has already taken place here. However, there’s still the awesome parade and great foods to try!

Spring at SeaWorld Orlando

Lastly, SeaWorld Orlando is hosting the Seven Seas Food Festival on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays until May 7th! If you are visiting this weekend or next, then you may also catch their St. Patrick’s Day Celebration as well! The park will also be celebrating Cinco de Mayo during the last weekend in April and first weekend in May. Both of those events will add some food and entertainment to the park.

Last year, I tried some tasty food at the Seven Seas Food Festival and really liked it. Unfortunately, we missed the Seven Seas Concert Series as we were tired from a full day in the park. The concert series is a mix of well-known artists, smaller bands, and tribute bands! I recommend looking up the schedule if you are heading there before May 7th.

Orlando Theme Parks in Spring

As you can see, all three theme parks celebrate spring with a special festival. So, which is your favorite spring in Orlando festival?

You can check out my other seasonal theme park guides here:

Spring Accessories 2015 from Kohl’s

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Have you seen the newest spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s yet? If not, I think it’s definitely worth a look.

Disclosure: I received these items for free.

Spring Accessories 2015

Spring Accessories 2015

Ah. It’s finally spring. That means it’s time for brighter colors and fun patterns as the weather warms up a bit. Personally, I prefer to keep my outfits classic with a pop of color here and there. That’s why I absolutely love the spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s.

Kohl’s has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop for clothing as they have so much to choose from at reasonable prices. Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a box of the spring accessories 2015 lines from Kohl’s and I was very pleased. In it were the two purses pictured above. On the left is the Apt. 9 Ann Envelope Convertible Clutch in periwinkle and on the right is the Apt. 9 Margo Crossbody Bag in Hot Coral. Both of these Apt. 9 bags have great compartments inside that make them great for practical purposes. The color and design make them hot for spring though. They would definitely brighten up any outfit. In fact, I’m thinking of taking the crossbody bag with me to Europe over the summer, just because it’s so useful and cheery.

2015 Kohls Spring Collection Shoes

In addition to the darling bags, there were 2 pairs of shoes, pictured here. There’s the Juicy Couture Women’s Palm Tree Slip-On Sneakers, which looks beautiful! Just looking at them takes me away for a moment. I think that wearing them all day would make me happier as I would have periodic thoughts of the beach throughout the day. Additionally, there’s the Dana Buchman Olyvia floral heels which look so fun! There are so many colors that can be coordinated with them to make for a perfect spring look.

As you can see the spring accessories 2015 line from Kohl’s is filled with fun prints and colors while being easy to style with things you already own. This year, they are really making it easy for us to add a pop of color to our wardrobes without breaking the bank. Both bags are $39 and the shoes are $59.99. I think that’s pretty reasonable, especially considering how high quality Kohl’s items are.

Have you purchased any new spring accessories yet?