Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival Runs Through May 22

TAMPA, FL — Combine gourmet food, fine wine and craft beers with live concerts featuring nationally known musicians, and you've got a recipe for success.

At least that's been the experience of Busch Gardens Tampa, which is hosting the Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival for the seventh year.

The festival will run Friday to Sunday through May 22 from noon until the park closes.

Each year the festival introduces new foods to try, wines, beers and cocktails to taste and headline acts offering music for every taste.

This year, festival goers can pair more than 20 new dishes from the Culinary Cabins with 40 wines and craft beers, and cocktails including three drinks concocted to celebrate the newly opened Iron Gwazi, the world's tallest roller coaster.

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Festival goers age 21 and up can choose from the Iron Gwazi Fizz with Hendrick’s gin, lavender, lemonade, grenadine, blue Curacao and soda; the Hybrid Heat with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Disaronno and Coca-Cola and The 91° Drop with Tito’s handmade vodka, melon liqueur, Triple Sec and lemonade.

New foods to sample include:

• Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Street Corn, a new street corn dish with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, avocado lime crema, tajin and cotija.
• Harvest Chipotle BBQ Shrimp Tacos with a creamy ranch slaw, Pipian sauce and cotija.
• Sour Orange Glazed Burnt Ends Pork Belly Bites with sweet plantains, toasted sesame and scallions.
• Beer-Battered Shrimp Po’Boy with lettuce and lemon Cajun remoulade.
• Urban Duck Fries with duck confit, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs and roasted garlic aioli.
• Hawaiian BBQ Pork with coconut jasmine rice, pineapple serrano relish and cilantro.
• Mini Bison Cheeseburger with wild blackberry preserve and Pinot Noir carmelized onions.
• Creamy Lobster White Cheddar Kraft Mac ‘n' Cheese with lobster bisque and lobster.
• Mini Avocado Slider with smashed avocado, roasted garlic aioli on a brioche bun.
• Jack Daniel's Tennessee BBQ Short Ribs served on a jalapeno cheddar corn muffin with Jack Daniels whiskey brown sugar barbecue sauce, B&B pickles and fried onions.
• Cajun Garlic Shrimp & Grits with smoked cheddar and Tasso ham.
• Bavarian Fruit Punch Trifle with vanilla cake, banana pudding, pineapple, wild cherries, toasted coconut and whipped topping.
• Brownie Fundae with Madagascar vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge, caramel, whipped topping, shaved chocolate and macerated cherries.
• Chocolate Cookie Waffle Cone with Oreo cookie crumbs, chocolate drizzle, sprinkles and whipped topping.
• 24k Double Chocolate Whoopie Pie with marshmallow cream, chocolate drizzle and chocolate pearls.
• Bourbon Pecan Pie with sea salt caramel drizzle and whipped topping.
• Toasted Coconut Lemon Cheesecake with mint and blueberries.
• Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart with wild raspberries and a whipped topping.
• Banana Foster Beignets with bourbon chocolate sauce and whipped topping.

Sampler lanyards can be purchased for $65 for 10 items or $80 for 15 items and includes samples of food, wine, beer and cocktails.

Headlining acts on the Festival Field stage take place at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturday and 6 p.m. Sundays. VIP reserved seating is available for an extra $44.99 to $54.99 and includes a five-item sampler lanyard.

The upcoming concert lineup features:

• April 2: Rodney Atkins, country singer and songwriter best known for hits such as Honesty (Write Me a List) and Farmer’s Daughter.
• April 3: Air Supply with classics such as Lost in Love, Making Love Out of Nothing at All and Every Woman in the World.
• April 10: Award-winning country singer-songwriter Chris Janson with hits Buy Me a Boat, Good Vibes and Drunk Girl.
• April 16: The tribute band Fleetwood Max with songs from the 1977 Rumours album to current touring set lists, performing at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
• April 17: Hotel California, an Eagles tribute band, at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
• April 23: Classic rock band Kansas with hits spanning nearly five decades.
• April 24: Country star Clint Black with hits like Killin’ Time.
• April 30: 3 Doors Down, the Grammy-nominated multi-platinum Mississippi rock band.
• May 1: Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute, an Emmy-winning Beatles tribute band, will perform at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
• May 6: Latin Explosion: Selena, Santana and Estefan Tribute will perform at 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
• May 7: Jenny and the Mexicats, a multicultural band that blends flamenco, jazz, folk and cumbia, with lyrics in both English and Spanish.
• May 15: Gente de Zona, a Cuban reggaeton duo.
• May 22: Tito Nieves, prominent salsa singers.

To view the full menu, concert lineup and other event details, click here.