On Sunday, September 27, I attended opening weekend of Knott’s Berry Farm’s Taste of Fall-O-Ween event. This was the third foodie event to take place at Knott’s since July, and it was the second that I was able to participate in. Taste of Fall-O-Ween runs September 25 through November 1, and although it was originally scheduled Fridays-Sundays, the event’s popularity has resulted in more weekdays being added. Check out the official event page for a complete list of dates and to buy your tickets — I would recommend buying soon, as many of the dates have already sold out!
For those who are not familiar with these events, your $35 ticket is your “tasting card” and includes a QR code that can be redeemed for five food or drink items throughout the park. Although rides and attractions are still closed, guests are admitted at a limited capacity to enjoy park atmosphere and modified entertainment. The park is decked out for Fall and Halloween, and I would recommend taking a full lap (including Camp Snoopy!) to take it all in. Plan for a late afternoon arrival if you want to see the festivities during the day and after dark — I left just before sunset, and wish I had stayed later!
CROWDS & SAFETY When I attended Taste of Knott’s in August, I was very impressed by the low crowds, mask wearing, social distancing, and increased cleaning that I saw at the park. This time was still very good on that front, but it definitely seemed like crowds were higher, and a small number of guests were taking mask-wearing less seriously. The first thing I saw while I was walking from my car to the front gate was two separate groups who were leaving the park and had already removed their masks. The pathway through that part of the marketplace is narrow, and they passed within 6 feet of me. After the event, Knott’s sent out a guest questionnaire about the experience, and I made sure to mention this — I also suggested that signs at the exit gate asking guests to keep their masks on until they reach their vehicle might be helpful.
Later, a guest approached me while I was eating and asked me to take her photo, to which I reflexively said yes. Neither of us were wearing masks, and she asked her family members if they want to take their masks off for the photo. This was a mistake. My biggest reservation about attending theme parks right now is knowing that just because I’m trying my best to follow covid-etiquette (cov-etiquette? can that be a hybrid word?), doesn’t mean that people around me will be. Even though I still think Knott’s did a great job, it seems like there may be some rules that need to be re-emphasized or more thoroughly explained as the public becomes more comfortable returning to old behaviors.
FOOD & DRINKS I think I would rate the food experience at Taste of Knott’s about an 8/10 — you can read my full review of that event here, or watch the YouTube video. There was still a little room for improvement, but I enjoyed almost everything I had and looked forward to seeing what they came up with next. Maybe there would even be vegan bread in our future, so we wouldn’t have to order bunless burgers and sandwiches? Unfortunately, my bread dreams didn’t come true this time (see Taste #3, the breadless meatball sandwich), but I was happy to see some exciting new options including pizza, a salad (with stuff on it!), and even a delicious pumpkin pastry.
The Knott’s vegan menu is still a bit confusing, but you can browse the full menu here — scroll to “Taste of Fall-O-Ween Special Dietary Needs” near the bottom of the page. Knott’s is churning these events out with the quickness, so my hope is that they will get the bread issue resolved and streamline their vegan menu whenever they have a little downtime. Until then, I’m happy to keep making these guides! I’ve also included the location of each item, so you can use this post as your vegan guide to the event. Up next I’ll share reviews for the items I ate, but keep scrolling for a complete menu.
1st Taste: Cauliflower Pizza Slice with Marinara Sauce, Vegan Cheese, and Bell Peppers
I’m a deep-dish girl, but as far as thin crust pizza goes, this was pretty great. It was tasty, cooked perfectly, and not too heavy on the cheese. I think cauliflower crust was the way to go to keep guests prepared for a full day of eating — you gotta save room! Unfortunately, most of the vegan options were lacking in carbs, and I stayed pretty hungry until my pumpkin spice crumble bar (Taste #5). Even though this pizza slice did nothing wrong, I do wish at least one or two of the vegan dishes were a little more hearty.
Located at Wagon Wheel Pizza (GT).
2nd Taste: Beeting Heart Salad
Next, I went over to Sutter’s Grill to check out the tater tots with vegan mozzarella, garlic pickles & boysenberry mustard. What even is that?! I had to try it. Unfortunately, they were out of the vegan mozzarella, and cheeseless tater tots with pickles and mustard didn’t seem that appealing (unless they were a snack whipped up out of desperation during a Netflix binge). I decided to pass, and went over to Coasters Diner to try the beeting heart salad instead. In the past, theme park salads have usually disappointed me, but this was fresh and flavorful, and topped with some of my favorite things. I wish the portion was a tiny bit larger, and/or included a few spoonfuls of quinoa to make it more filling, but overall I was happy.
Located Coasters Diner (BW).
3rd Taste: Vegetarian Meatball Sandwich
Where’s the bread?! Guys, if you’re going out of your way to make a vegan meatball, just take the extra step and get vegan bread. Just do it. Please. Omnivores are eating vegan bread most of the time anyway, and they can’t even tell the difference. Next time I’m gonna bring vegan bread in my purse as a backup and then we’re all going to look silly. I couldn’t place what type of meat substitute they were using, but the meatball and sauce were very good. They also gave me a few extra fries to make up for the lack of bread, which was nice (we love a waffle fry)
Located at Wilderness Broiler (GT).
4th Taste: Açaí Bowl with Pumpkin Granola, Bananas, Berries, and Almond Butter
Do pumpkin and berries really go? I’m still undecided, but the combination was a little confusing to my taste buds. This time of year I want pumpkin on everything though, so I’ll allow it. This is the same acai base I enjoyed last time, and the fruit topping was fresh and delicious.
Located at the Gourmet Coffee Hut (BW).
5th Taste: Pumpkin Spice Pecan Crumble Bar
Wow. WOWWWW. I almost missed this option because I was certain it wasn’t vegan. I saw the V symbol next to it when I was getting my pizza earlier in the day, and made a mental note to circle back around later to grab one. I’m glad I did! This was basically a pumpkin pie slice with pecan crumble topping on both sides, and a candied ginger topping. It was also a very generous sized portion, and even though I loved it, I had trouble finishing it all. This is one thing you don’t want to miss at this event.
Located at Wagon Wheel Pizza (GT) and Dippin’ Dots (BW).
6th Taste: Full Moon Mint Julep
Okay, so, technically you’re only supposed to get five tastes. But when I scanned my QR code for the pumpkin crumble bar, the employee informed me that I had one taste left. Did I not get scanned somewhere along the way? Who knows! I didn’t ask questions and decided I would try one more item, for myself, and for you — and make up for lost bread! I always like to try at least one non-alcoholic beverage, and this time the full moon mint julep caught my eye. I know mint juleps can be really hit or miss, but this one was nice, and I enjoyed finding a spot to sit and people watch/park watch before heading home.
Located at the Fiesta Booth (FV).
Complete List
Cauliflower Pizza Slice with Marinara Sauce, Vegan Cheese, and Bell Peppers
Location: Wagon Wheel Pizza (GT)
Battered Buffalo Cauliflower BITES *
Location: Calico Fry Co. (GT), Sutter’s Grill (GT)
* Modification: Order with un-battered cauliflower, and omit cotija cheese.
Tater Tots served with Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, Diced Garlic Pickles and a Drizzle of Boysenberry Mustard *
Location: Calico Fry Co. (GT), Sutter’s Grill (GT)
* Modification: Make sure to specify that you want the vegan version, because there is a non-vegan dish with cheese sauce and pastrami.
Vegetarian Meatball Sandwich *
Location: Wilderness Broiler (GT)
* Modification: Order with no bun.
Vegetarian Slider with Cheese, Tomato, and a Green Spinach Aioli on a Pretzel Bun *
Location: Coasters Diner (BW)
* Modification: Order with no bun, omit cheese, omit green spinach aioli.
Beeting Hearts Salad – mixed greens, roasted red beets, artichoke hearts, butternut squash, toasted pepitas with a raspberry vinaigrette
Location: Coasters Diner (BW)
Acai Bowl with Pumpkin Granola, Bananas, Berries, and Almond Butter
Location: Gourmet Coffee Hut (BW)
Sweet Nachos – boysenberry flour tortilla chips with cinnamon sugar and boysenberry jam dipping sauce
Location: La Papa Loca (FV)
Pumpkin Spice Pecan Crumble Bar
Location: Wagon Wheel Pizza (GT), Dippin’ Dots (BW)
Boysenberry Smoothie
Location: Wagon Wheel Pizza (GT), Calico Saloon (GT), Gourmet Coffee Hut (BW)
MAD Shirley Temple – grenadine, sprite, and a cherry
Location: Pemmican Pickle (GT)
Blood Orange Lemonade
Location: Wilderness Broiler (GT), Chowhouse Ice Cream (GT), Coasters Diner (BW)
Full Moon Mint Julep – blackberry lemonade, mint, and lychee fruit garnish
Location: Fiesta Booth (FV)
For alcoholic beverages, please check the “Special Dietary Needs” tab of their online menu — many of these are also listed as vegan.
I hope you find this guide helpful, and enjoy your time at Taste of Fall-O-Ween! Tag me on Instagram (@vegan.dynamite) if you posts your Tastes, especially if you tried anything that I missed — I’m curious! Let me know if we agreed or disagreed in our reviews by posting a comment. Thank you to Knott’s Berry Farm for hosting this event, and for making it vegan-friendly!
vegan DYNAMITE 
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