An Insider’s Look at Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival [2025]

Every year Busch Garden hosts a Food and Wine Festival in the Springtime. This festival is known for its delectable food items, unique drinks, live performances, and main concerts.

Let’s take a closer look at what to expect during your visit to Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival!

Is the Food and Wine Festival included with admission to Busch Gardens?

Yes! The Food and Wine Festival is included with your regular park admission to Busch Gardens.

Is the Food and Wine Festival every day in the Springtime?

No, in specific this year it runs Friday through Sunday from March 7 to May 18. Moreover, the food and beverage locations open at noon on event days and close when the park closes.

The festival delivers an unforgettable concert experience with live performances every Saturday, plus additional shows on select Fridays and Sundays. Best of all, these concerts are included with park admission – check out the official Busch Gardens website for the official lineup!

What food items and drinks can I expect?

Cabin 1 & 2: Jamaica

• Entrées
  • NEW! – Smoked Jerk Chicken, Caribbean Rice, Mango Salsa
  • NEW! – Sautéed Jamaican Callaloo (Vegetarian)
• Dessert
  • Sweet Potato Pudding
• Cocktails
  • Gin Crush Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Blackberry Bramble Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Strawberry Lemonade Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Spiced Rum Sangria Craft Standard Cocktail

Cabin 4: Colombia

• Entrées
  • Empanadas – Chicken, Beef, Ham and Cheese. Salsa Verde or Roja.
  • Chicken Croquetas
• Dessert
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Empanada
• Wines
  • Achaval Ferrer Malbec (Argentinian Wine)
  • Ernesto Catena Padrillos Pinot Noir (Argentinian Wine)

Cabin 5: Chile

• Entrées
  • FAN FAVORITE! – Churrasco-Inspired Grilled Beef, Garlic-Cilantro Yucca
  • FAN FAVORITE! – Local White Fish Ceviche
• Dessert
  • Tres Leche
• Wines
  • Papi Pink Moscato (Chilean Wine)
  • Miguel Torres Cabernet Sauvignon (Chilean Wine)

Cabin 6: New Zealand

• Entrées
  • REINVENTED! – Roasted Lamb Rack
  • NEW! – Venison Slider
• Dessert
  • Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Wines
  • Craggy Range Chardonnay (Kiwi Wine)
  • Urlar Pinot Noir (Kiwi Wine)
  • Matua Rose (Kiwi Wine)

Cabin 7: India

• Entrées
  • NEW! – Chickpea Masala, Basmati Rice (Vegetarian)
  • NEW! – Butter Chicken, Basmati Rice
• Dessert
  • Mango Cheesecake

Cabin 8: Canada

• Entrées
  • RETURNING! – Smoked Salmon Sandwich
  • RETURNING! – Halifax Donair
• Dessert
  • Nanaimo Bar

Cabin 12: Spain

• Entrées
  • FAN FAVORITE! – Albondigas
  • NEW! – Seafood Paella
• Dessert
  • Flan
• Cocktails
  • The Black Rose Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Italian Margarita Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Chai Elixer Craft Standard Cocktail
  • Caipirinha Craft Standard Cocktail

Cabin 13: France

• Entrées
  • REINVENTED! – White Bean Cassoulet
  • Ratatouille (Vegetarian)
• Dessert
  • Crêpes Suzette
• Wines
  • Chateau La Tuilerie Du Puy Bordeaux (French Wine)
  • Comtesse De Malet Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc (French Wine)

Cabin 14: Italy

• Entrées
  • Rotini Puttanesca (Vegetarian)
  • REINVENTED! – Chicken Marsala, Crispy Polenta Cake
• Dessert
  • Deconstructed Tiramisu
• Wines
  • Borgo Scopeto Chianti Classico (Italian Wine)
  • Michele Chiarlo ‘Le Orme’ Barbara d ‘Asti (Italian Wine)

Cabin 15: U.S.A.

• Entrées
  • FAN FAVORITE! – NE Lobster Roll
  • RETURNING! – Classic Crab Cakes
• Dessert
  • Apple Cobbler

Cabin 17: Old World Wines

• Wines
  • Red Wines
  • White Wines
  • Rose Wines
• Beers
  • Fell on Black Days from Wild River Brewing Company
  • In the Pines from Wild River Brewing Company
  • Dad Bod DIPA from 3 Daughters Brewing
  • Orange Wheat from St. Pete Brewing Company

Festival Field Bar

• Dessert
  • Cotton Candy
  • Caramel Corn
• Beers
  • Selection of Craft Beer on Tap
• Cocktails
  • Selection of Craft Standard Cocktails

To learn more about each individual item, check out the Busch Gardens website.

The above 2 images are from a previous Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival.

Are there any deals for purchasing multiple food and drink items at the festival?

Yes! Before purchasing your food and drinks, buy a Food & Wine Sampler Lanyard. You can get the lanyard online, in the mobile app, at Guest Relations, or at select culinary locations during the event.

The 10-item sampler costs $70 plus tax and fees, and the 15-item sampler costs $85 plus tax and fees. If you are a Busch Garden Pass Member, you can purchase an 18-item sampler for the price of a 15-item sampler.

Are there any other Busch Gardens Pass Member benefits?

Yes! In addition to the 18-item sampler lanyard for the price of a 15-item lanyard ($85), Pass Members receive extra perks during the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival.

These include a free exclusive Pass Member cutting board (though it has already sold out) and a one-time free food or beverage sample, redeemable only on festival event days – Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Are the concerts included with admission to Busch Gardens?

Yes! All Food and Wine Festival concerts are included in your park admission. These concerts are approximately 75 – 90 minutes long.

How do you get the best seats for the concerts?

You can purchase VIP Seating for the best seats! These can be bought online, in the mobile app, or at Guest Services. Prices start at $39.99 per person and vary depending on the performer.

VIP Seating comes with one complimentary beverage and access to a private VIP bar! You will also be able to enter 30 minutes early compared to the regular guests when you purchase VIP Seating.

Besides VIP Seating are there seats or only standing room?

On the field you will find bench seating, but it is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. There is plenty of standing room in the second half of the field and some more benches in the back if you cannot get a seat in the front half.

Unfortunately, you cannot bring your camping or foldable chairs to the concert venue, but blankets are welcome.

Who will be performing at the Food and Wine Festival?

• Saturday, March 8, 2025 – Starship Ft. Mickey Thomas
• Friday, March 14, 2025 – Sister Hazel
• Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Flo Rida
• Friday, March 21, 2025 – Joe Nichols
• Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Luis Fonsi
• Sunday, March 23, 2025 – The Commodores
• Friday, March 28, 2025 – Easton Corbin & Matt Stell
• Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Edwin McCain
• Friday, April 4, 2025 – Soulja Boy & Paul Wall
• Saturday, April 5, 2025 – Village People
• Saturday, April 12, 2025 – Michael Ray
• Sunday, April 13, 2025 – Fuel & Lit
• Saturday, April 19, 2025 – Plain White T’s
• Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Blackberry Smoke
• Sunday, April 27, 2025 – Mitchell Tenpenny & Graham Barham
• Saturday, May 3, 2025 – Third Eye Blind
• Sunday, May 4, 2025 – Robin Thicke
• Saturday, May 10, 2025 – Grand Funk Railroad
• Sunday, May 11, 2025 – To Be Announced
• Friday, May 16, 2025 – Hoobastank
• Saturday, May 17, 2025 – Justin Moore

How about the rest of the park?

The rest of the park is operating like normal so you can enjoy the rides and the Food and Wine Festival all on the same day. If you are not looking for thrill, hop on the Serengeti Express and take a scenic ride through the Serengeti by train.

An update from my Christmas Town at Busch Gardens post a few months ago is that SheiKra and Congo River Rapids are both open again from their winter maintenance, and the all-new Serengeti Flyer is now open!

Also, if you are not feeling the Food and Wine Festival and/or the kiddos rather not partake, you can purchase the All-Day Dining pass or buy the individual meals when needed.

The Elmo and Friends area is open with fun rides, cool activities, and a fun show, perfect for the kids (and kids at heart to enjoy)!

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Meaning that, at zero cost to you, Dale, Let’s Travel! LLC may receive a small commission if you finalize a purchase through the links below. Thank you for supporting the blog!

Thinking of going to Busch Gardens for their Food and Wine Festival and do not already have an admission ticket?

Consider getting the Tampa Bay CityPASS! You can get admission to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, The Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park, and two other attraction visits of your choice (from a listing).

The listing comprises the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, The Tropics Boat Tours Dolphin or Sunset Cruise, the Museum of Science & Industry, and the Glazer Children’s Museum.

Adult ticket prices are $144, and Children (3-9) ticket prices are $129. These are a bargain since a one-day ticket to Busch Gardens starts at $99.99, and that price is typically a weekday price.

In purchasing the CityPASS, we saved money on these 5 visits, skipped the ticket counter, and increased our flexibility as we did not have to reserve a spot for most of the attractions.

Everywhere we go, even when we are local, we search for discounted ticket packages like CityPASS to get the greatest bang for our buck and visit the most well-known attractions in that area!

Want to purchase the Tampa Bay CityPASS to visit these amazing attractions and save over 50% at 5 Must-See Attractions? Click the below image to do so!

For more details on CityPASS, visit my blog post, 2 Amazing Discounted Ticket Packages for Top Tourist Attractions.

Bon Appétit, Rock On, and Enjoy your time at Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival

This festival is perfect for foodies, wine connoisseurs, drink aficionados, dessert fanatics, music lovers, and theme parkgoers! You will find something for everyone here, and it is a great place to hang out alone or with friends and family.

Have you been to Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival? Let me know in the comments.

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* This article is not sponsored by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. or any of the other businesses mentioned above or their affiliates. However, as previously mentioned, Dale, Let’s Travel! LLC is an affiliate of CityPASS and may receive monetary compensation if you purchase tickets using the above affiliate link. *

** All the prices above are subject to change without notice by the respective owner(s). For up-to-date pricing, check the respective website. **