Knaus Berry Farm Is Open: Time for Cinnamon Rolls

It's a South Florida food-lovers right of passage: the first Knaus Berry cinnamon rolls of the season.

November means one thing when you're in Homestead, with the intoxicating scent of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls in the air. This month, everyone can get in on the action when the iconic strawberry farm and bakery reopens for the season.

Knaus Berry Farm, the farmstand that's so famous for its giant cinnamon rolls they're even sold on Goldbelly, has officially opened for its 67th season. The bakery welcomed its first customers at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 31.

Knaus Berry Farm was founded in 1956 as a roadside stand where Ray and Russell Knaus sold berries. The brothers expanded their inventory to include pies, breads, and other baked goods after a fruit broker told Ray's wife, Barbara, that her cookies were good enough to sell. The farm is now run by Ray and Barbara's children and their families.

Knaus has a passionate following, with people willing to wait in line for hours to get their hands on a dozen cinnamon rolls. Lines often form well before the bakery opens, filled with people who've traveled miles for a chance to be among the first to grab a box of those fresh, sweet rolls.

At 9 a.m. on opening day, bakery staff estimated there was a three-hour wait time.

This season, cinnamon rolls cost $2 apiece, $8.30 for a half-dozen, and $16 for a dozen (up 75 cents from last season). As always, there's a 12-dozen-per-person cap on purchases. If you're planning a trip to the farm, remember that Knaus only accepts cash and is closed on Sunday, as well as on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

When asked if there are any tips and tricks for avoiding the lines, longtime Knaus bakery manager Thomas Blocher tells New Times there's no getting around the wait, and lines are always longer on Friday and Saturday.

Each year, Blocher adds that he's always astonished at the lines that form for the Knaus cinnamon rolls. They'll continue well into the new year as Miamians get their fill for the six-month season of baked goods, ice cream, fresh strawberries, and other produce until the farm shutters for the summer months in mid-April.

"We hear stories about generations of people coming to Knaus," sums up Blocher. "It's nice to hear that we've left a positive memory in their lives."

Knaus Berry Farm. 15980 SW 248th St., Homestead; 305-247-0668; knausberryfarm.com. Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Cash only.