Knott’s Berry Farm Begins New Discounts : Tickets: Among theme park’s 3 programs is one that lowers adult price to $15.95, a 38.5% reduction. The recession sparked cuts.

Knott’s Berry Farm has begun a new round of ticket discounting as the holiday season begins.

The Knott’s discount programs--there are three--can lower the price of an adult admission ticket to as low as $15.95, a 38.5% cut.

Perhaps the easiest to take advantage of is a $15.95 admission offered to adults who drop off a can of food as they enter the park between Friday and Christmas Eve. The food is being donated to the Food Distribution Center, a nonprofit food bank serving Orange County.

The Buena Park theme park is also selling $15.95 adult tickets in a promotion deal through Ralphs supermarkets. Anyone who buys an adult ticket at the supermarket can also get a child’s ticket free. Tickets are being sold through Dec. 15 and are good for visits through Feb. 10, which covers all the typical winter break school vacations.

The holiday period is traditionally slow for theme parks because of colder weather and more time spent in shopping malls.

Knott’s also announced Monday that it is going to continue a $19.95 adult admission discount to people who can show proof they live in Southern California. Instead of expiring Wednesday, the program has been continued until April 30.

The usual price of an adult ticket to Knott’s is $25.95 for adults; $17.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children 3 through 11.

Discounting was rare among Southland theme parks until the recession hit in 1990, but it has been rampant since. Knott’s spokesman Bob Oxner said the park is cutting prices this holiday season to stay competitive with other popular venues, like Magic Mountain and Disneyland, that are also offering discounted tickets.