Busch Gardens' Food & Wine Festival is BACK!

ampa Bay’s largest food festival returns this spring with limited capacity, enhanced health and safety measures, live music and 22 NEW dishes.

This spring, flavors are in bloom at Busch Gardens with the return of the park’s fan-favorite Food & Wine Festival. 

Guests are invited to take their taste buds on an adventure as they sample more than 110 tasty treats, including 22 NEW dishes. Serving guests every weekend from February 20 to April 25 with limited capacity, this year’s menu features festival favorites and fresh twists on classic cuisines from around the country that pair perfectly with more than 80 wines, brews, and cocktails.
 
In addition to the park’s already strict health and safety measures, which include increased cleaning and sanitation, temperature checks, and face covering requirements, capacity will also be significantly limited to create more open space for guests to maintain physical distancing in a safe environment and enjoy their experience. 
 
Here are a few of the more than 110 tasty reasons to come back week after week:

• Fresh finds with seasonal flavors: From the NEW five-spice duck lettuce wraps with Asian pear coleslaw and plum sauce drizzle to meatless options like the Impossible® slider topped with caramelized balsamic onions and crispy jalapeños, there’s something for everyone.
• Savory bites of BBQ, Tex-Mex and more: Try sharable dishes like slowly smoked beef brisket pub chips and tasty handhelds. All American Eats by Kraft-Heinz offers a new take on American favorites featuring bison sliders with bacon onion jam, vintage cheddar, and Heinz® MAYOCHUP™, and lobster white cheddar KRAFT® Mac N Cheese.

• Sinfully sweet eats: From NEW Woodford Reserve® bourbon bread pudding, señorita sangria cupcakes, maple bacon cinnamon rolls and more, there’s something to satisfy any sweet tooth.
• More than 50 wines, beers and seltzers for all tastes: Take a tasting tour of vineyards and breweries from around the state, country and globe without leaving Tampa Bay. Enjoy a curated selection from Benziger Family Vineyards® and Proud Pour Vineyards®; signature brews on tap from Tampa Bay Brewing Company®, Yuengling®, Florida Avenue Brewing Co. ® and Coppertail Brewing Co. ®; hard seltzers from Funky Buddah® and Maine & Vine®.
• More than 20 refreshing cocktails: It’s easy to find the perfect pairing to complement this year’s festival menu with new hand-crafted mixologist recipes like the Tito’s® Handmade Vodka Smoked Bloody Mary and Falcons Fury Lemon Drop with Milagro® tequila, and Flor De Caña® Rum Hurricanes. Chill out with NEW Cutwater® frozen margarita popsicles or frozen watermelon margaritas.

BRAND-NEW Giraffe Bar! Featuring 2 NEW Cocktails and 2 NEW Wines!

Return to Live Music with Physically-Distant Concerts—Coming Soon to the Festival Field
From nationally recognized bands to local favorites, safely eat to the beat with plenty of open space across the expansive Festival Field. All concerts are included with theme park admission and will take place on select dates in March and April. Concert acts will be announced soon, including upgrade opportunities for premium seating.
 
For the first course of the Food & Wine Festival, guests can enjoy a taste of local acts at the Coke Canopy stage starting February 20 and running throughout the duration of the festival. Physically distant seating will be available in the open-air pavilion.
 
Best Way to Play – Busch Gardens Fun Card and Annual Passes
With a Busch Gardens Fun Card, you pay for a day and play all year!* For a limited time, guests who purchase the Busch Gardens Fun Card for $113.99 will receive an Adventure Island Fun Card, plus a bonus single-day ticket to Adventure Island so you can bring a guest for FREE! For the price of a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens, the Fun Card allows access throughout the year, so you can visit again and again, and access great events like the Food & Wine Festival, Summer Nights, Christmas Town and more! Offer ends February 14, 2021.
 
For more park benefits, guests can upgrade to a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Annual Pass to enjoy the perks they want most throughout 2021. Annual Pass Members* receive 12 months of visits with the best benefits ever, including FREE parking, up to 6 free guest tickets, and up to 50-percent savings on merchandise, Quick Queue, and more!
 
Enjoy the Best of the Food & Wine Festival with a Sampler Lanyard
The best way for guests to savor and save on their favorite dishes and drinks at this year’s Food & Wine Festival is with a sampler lanyard. Guests can purchase a 5, 10 or 12-item sampler lanyard to use at each festival cabin to explore sample-sized dishes and drink offerings with ease, starting at just $34.99 for a 5-punch lanyard. Pass Members can purchase an exclusive 15-item sampler for the same price as a 12-item sampler to enjoy three FREE samples! Visit buschgardens.com/tampa/events/food-and-wine-festival/ to view the full festival menu.
 
Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information and reservations—and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, or Annual Passes. Fans can stay up to date with park events, attractions and more by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Expanded Health and Safety Measures:
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and the animals in our care. The park has worked diligently with state and local health experts, outside consultants and attraction industry leaders to enhance our already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health, and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19.
 
For detailed information about the measures that guests can expect when visiting the park, including key operational changes, visit buschgardens.com/tampa/safety

​I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.