Break out the forks and spoons. (Or just use your fingers!)

If you’ve missed Busch Gardens’ yearly food and wine festival this spring (really, what haven’t we missed this spring?), we’ve got some news to make your day a little bit happier and a lot more delicious. Due to the popularity of Coasters and Craft Brews, the previous limited event, the Williamsburg park has just announced another super-fun and yummy event.

Taste of Busch Gardens allows guests to sip, sample, and soar through six of the park’s themed villages. By “limited capacity,” we mean that there is a limit to the number of guests in the park during a given time frame. The park is operating on four-hour increments to provide as many guests as possible with the chance to enjoy the park.

Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA, said …

“Coming off of our very successful Coasters & Craft Brews event, the Taste of Busch Gardens is another way for us to provide our guests with a unique experience sure to create long-lasting memories, while operating with enhanced health and safety measures in place. We’re adding even more coasters and rides for the entire family. The combination of world class coasters and rides paired with a menu of brand-new culinary offerings will make for an amazing experience that only Busch Gardens can provide.”

With 150 acres, there’s lots of space for guests to enjoy Food & Wine Festival favorites at a comfortable and safe social distance. The park has done a spectacular job with its implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols for cleaning and sanitizing. Masks are required, and temperature checks will be done upon arrival. There are "relaxation areas" where you can take off your mask for a breather. 

Taste of Busch Gardens is open on select days and times from September 2–27, 2020.

  • Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5–9 p.m.
  • Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (and Labor Day): 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.

Tickets are $44.99 for weekday park entrance. Weekends are $49.99. Food and beverage samples are additional. You can also bundle your ticket with a sample card that gives you either five or 10 food and beverage samples. Purchase tickets by visiting the park’s website.

Taste of Busch Gardens is included for active season passholders, but you do still need to go in and make a reservation on the park website. Children under age 3 do not need a ticket or a reservation.

Taste of Busch Gardens Details

lavender lemonade

Lavender Lemonade (Courtesy: Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

There will be new twists on some of the food and beverage fan favorites (like gamba fritters and hibiscus lemonade) as well as wine tastings and specialty beverages that aren’t normally served in the park.

Scotland, Ireland, France, New France, Rhinefeld, and Oktoberfest villages will be open. As usual, you’ll enter the park through the England village where you can do some shopping (but those dining stands won’t be open). Ten food and beverage kiosks are spread around the park and include regional and traditional foods and desserts, 10 specialty drinks, and more than 30 beers from around the world.

Taste of Busch Gardens Kiosks

Mushi-gyoza

Mushi-gyoza (Courtesy: Busch Gardens Williamsburg)

  • Best of Food & Wine Festival (Ireland village): Bangers & colcannon (Ireland), gamba fritters (Jamaica), mushi-gyoza (Japan), siopao (Philippines), baklava (Greece), bubble tea (Japan), and Blue Hawaiian frozen cocktail (Hawaii)
  • The Brew Bar (Grogan's Pub in Ireland): A variety of beers and a delicious charcuterie plate featuring German sliced meats and whole-grain mustard
  • Old Country Fries (France village): An array of French fry selections from around the world with Italian, English, Irish, and German toppings, and a selection of draft beer choices
  • Decadent Delights (France village): Beignets (French Quarter), cannoli (Italy), a cookie dough cone (U.S.), strawberry lemonade, and draft beer and wine
  • Chef’s Choice (New France): Churrasco (Brazil), jerk chicken slider with mango salsa (Jamaica), mushroom risotto with basil pesto (Italy), and specialty drinks
  • New Beverage and Dessert Offerings: Loukoumades (Greek “doughnuts”), wine tastings, craft beer, and a sangria garden (in the France village) with flavors like red, citrus Moscato, and strawberry

Trapper’s Smokehouse, along with its spacious outdoor seating, will also be available for those who prefer a big plate of BBQ.

Several rides and roller coasters will be open, including Finnegan’s Flyer Screamin’ Swing, Griffon, InvadR, Alpengeist, Verbolten, Der Wirblewind, Le Scoot, and the Kinder Karussel.

eurasian eagle owl

Eurasian Eagle Owl (Courtesy: Sandy Allen)

If you need a break from sipping, snacking, and soaring, you can check out the park’s famous Clydesdales, wolves, and bald eagles. A super-fun aspect of the park is that you can often find Animal Ambassadors (like hawks and the Eurasian eagle owl) out and about with their handlers. Photos are always welcome!

Have you been to Busch Gardens' annual Food & Beverage event? What’s your favorite item? Let us know in the comments.