Break out the bubbly. Food & Wine is back for 2021!
Busch Gardens has been rolling out limited capacity events and special holiday celebrations over the past several months. Between Halloween, Christmas, and even Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, we’ve had the chance to get a taste of some much-needed normal-ness (with lots of social distancing and enhanced health and safety protocols, of course).
The park has just announced the return of one of its most popular events. Canceled last year because of you-know-what, Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival is back for 2021. Along with favorites from previous years, there will be new flavors of internationally inspired food and beverage choices.
Courtesy of Busch Gardens Williamsburg
The menu features 11 kiosks with more than 25 food and beverage options, as well as 75 wine, beer, and cocktail choices. All areas of the park will be accessible. Previously, only certain sections of the park were open. Guests will be able to enjoy even more of their favorite roller coasters, rides, and live music.
New culinary choices include Spam musubi with sushi rice, chicken bulgogi, and chicken and andouille gumbo. New cocktails include a dark & stormy with Myers spiced rum, Ouzo lemonade, a honeybee hurricane, and rumchata. New on the non-alcoholic menu is chocolate or vanilla banana milk.
The Food & Wine Festival 2021 takes place on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from April 2–May 23.
Food & Wine Festival 2021 Kiosks:
- Brazil: Churrasco, linquica, abacaxi, Brazilian lemonade, frozen basil and mint caipirinha
- French Quarter: Muffuletta, chicken and andouille gumbo, beignets, hibiscus lemonade, frozen hurricane, and other specialty cocktails
- Hawaii: Spam musubi, Hawaiian mac and cheese, tuna poke, pineapple coconut mousse, hibiscus lemonade, and frozen blue Hawaiian
- Island Freeze: Lion lemonade, manta margarita, honeybee hurricane, pina colada, shark bite, and other frozen cocktails
- Italy: Caprese, creamy mushroom risotto, cannoli, limoncello, and amaretto
- Mediterranean: Lamb burger slider, spanakopita, dolmades, loukoumades, iced café au lait, and Ouzo lemonade
- Mexico: Fried shrimp taco, carne asada taco, chorizo empanada, rumchata, frozen watermelon margarita, and other specialty cocktails
- Sangria Gardens: Red, white, rosé, and frozen sangria
- South Korea: Beef bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, Korean BBQ pork ribs, banana milk, and Cutwater Cans
- Virginia: She-crab soup, bacon and cheddar hushpuppies, apple pie moonshine, and strawberry lemonade
Guests can also discover breweries and vineyards from around the country, including Virginia Brewing Company, 2 Silos Brewing Co., Caiseal Beer & Spirits, Kona Brewing Company, Cutwater Spirits, and many others.
Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the Busch Gardens has implemented lots of safety precautions. Face masks are required, and there will be temperature checks upon entry. This is a limited capacity event to ensure that guests have plenty of space to spread out. Hand sanitizer stations can be found all around the park. There are also areas where you can relax with your mask off if you need a break (while staying socially distant).
The sample size options allow guests to savor the tastes of other countries not normally offered at the park. One of the easiest and most convenient ways to enjoy Busch Gardens’ Food & Wine Festival is with a sampler card. Purchase a 10 or 15-item card to use at food and beverage kiosks around the park. 10-item sampler cards are $49.
Visit the park’s website to learn more, purchase tickets, and make reservations. Food & Wine is included with a season pass, but reservations must still be made. Members also get a free food or beverage sample item in April and May. All you have to do is print a voucher at the self-serve kiosks on the day of your visit. Platinum members can get an additional free item on April 23, May 7, or May 14.
Have you been to Busch Gardens’ Food & Wine Festival? What’s your favorite region? Let us know in the comments.
