The Food and Wine Festival at Busch Gardens is back, sip and sample food from all over the world in one theme park. Find out what my top picks are from this year’s 2017 Food and Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Food and Wine Festival at Busch Gardens 2017
I think I have been in an entirely soul-consuming love with food my entire life. I’m sure some of you say well how can you not love food? My passion and love for food go back many years when I finally broke out of my little bubble and decided to try different foods.
My curiosity in the matter paired with Andrew Zimmern from Bizzare Foods helped introduce me to the notion that you won’t truly know if you like something until you try it.
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival
I love to attend food and wine festival for just that reason, to sample and try many different foods in one location. When I heard Busch Gardens Williamsburg was hosting their very own Food and Wine Festival I just knew I had to attend.
To be honest I was more than pleased with the fact that they hosted over 15 different locations which boasted delicious foods and many different kinds of drinks. The drinks ranged from nonalcoholic to oh-so-delicious alcoholic beverages.
Meet The Chef
If you are looking for a fine dining experience featuring a live band then you need to check out Pairings of Note. Say Hello to one of the chefs behind this year’s food and wine tasting at Pairings of Note. Each dish was created to complement each other and they hope you are able to sit with them.
As they serve this delicious food and wine and explain a little bit of history about the wine as you dine. If you would like to purchase any of the wines you sampled during this experience you can simply purchase the bottle and enjoy it in the park or pick it up when you leave the park at the end of the night.
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2018
Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from May 26 – July 2, plus Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day)
Time: 11 a.m. until park closing
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival is back in Williamsburg May 26 and runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, through July 2. This is a wonderful opportunity to sample cuisine from around the world and still enjoy the park with your entire family. You eat while they play, that’s what I call a vacation!
Don’t miss the latest news about Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food and Wine Festival. Including my most recent visit to the Taste of Busch Gardens event in 2020.
Wine Pairings
Pairings of Note: Let our wine ambassadors at Busch Gardens® Food & Wine Festival help in pairing wines and food, from Pinot Noir and mushroom ravioli to Cabernet Sauvignon and pepper-crusted roast beef. Make a reservation and enjoy six samples pairing different foods with wine as a live band fills Castle O’Sullivan with festive music.
- Reservations are required and space is limited.
- Park admission and parking are not included and are required.
- Must be 21 or older to purchase and/or consume alcohol.
Chef Demos
The fun doesn’t stop at Pairings of Note, you can catch live Chef Demos throughout the park in special locations. Watch as these master chefs create the dishes you will be sampling throughout the park in one place.
Ever wanted to taste something and thought wow I would love to make this at home but have no idea where to start? Well, this is your chance to sample and then watch as each step of the process is demonstrated in front of you.
Mediterranean
Once you have purchased your Food & Beverage Sampler and have your badge ready to go, you can then adventure around the park and start sampling. If you purchase the regular Food & Beverage Sampler you will be able to mix and match ten entrées, desserts, beer, wine, or specialty beverage samples.
If you purchase the Deluxe Food & Beverage Sampler you can mix and match fifteen entrées, desserts, beer, wine, or specialty beverage samples.
Asia
Seeing as I am half Asian you know I had to visit the Asia location first, it was such a delicious destination. I truly loved the Mushi-Goyza which is Japanese-style steamed chicken dumplings with citrus Ponzo sauce.
Malik enjoyed the Bahn Mi which is a Vietnamese-style sandwich of marinated pork and pickled vegetables on crispy bread with lime and nuoc mam slaw. Truly delicious and I hope you are able to sample this delicious treat.
Italy
It’s probably not the best decision to have dessert before dinner, but I figured hey why not? The kids really enjoyed eating the Mini Cannoli Trio at the Italy Kiosk. This dessert features Traditional, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate hazelnut mini cannolis with chocolate-dipped shells.
This mom enjoyed a delicious cup (okay I had two!) of the Tiramisu, which was surprisingly light yet satisfying. Hence how I was able to enjoy two cups in one sitting. If you are looking for a delicious snack or dessert head over to the Italy kiosk and order up some delicious goodies from them.
Island Breeze
If you are hot and want something to cool you off, head over to the Island Breeze where all of your island-inspired drinks await you. Choose from many different flavors as well as some alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
India
First off I would like to say how much I really enjoyed the iced coffee at the India Kiosk, it was such a perfect treat to enjoy in the hot weather we were having. The kids went on a quick ride and sipped and ate my fill of the chicken and rice.
Keturah loved the chicken and rice, I ended up having to order 2 more because Keke and I loved the flavor. The coconut balls were very interesting I’ve never tried anything like that before and found it to be very sweet. If you like super sweet desserts and love coconuts, this is the dessert for you.
Caribbean
Ya Maan! This stuff was so good man! (in my best Jamaican accent). I only need to say one thing about this Caribbean kiosk, and that is. TRY EVERYTHING! Try all of the food and especially the Ginger Limeade.
If you are over the age of 21 then snag the Caribbean Sunset and take a seat to soak in all the yummy flavors. I must have spent about 10 minutes staring off into space as I sipped my Ginger Limeade. Go Here! Trust Me!
Canada
The Canada Kiosk had my kids in heaven, they saw macaroni and cheese and ordered one for each of them to try. I haven’t seen them lick many bowls when it comes to theme park food, but I’ll say all four of them licked their bowls when they finished.
It wasn’t until I told them we could just simply order another one, is when they finally parted ways with their bowls. Cheese lovers, you must visit this kiosk!
Crepes and Karak
There are 15 locations for you to explore and each of them boasts so many delicious options for you to choose from. It’s almost biased for me to say which tasted better than the other because I love food in general so each holds a special place in my taste buds’ hearts.
Don’t forget to take a break in between each dish and enjoy the park with the family, or just simply walk off some of those calories you just consumed. I made sure to space out all of my visits to each location to help me walk off any calories I don’t want to feel guilty for later.
The one thing I can say about the food is that it’s fresh, it’s delicious, it smells amazing, and it’s all over the place.
Family-Friendly Attractions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
I cannot wait to go back to Busch Gardens and sample more of the dishes I missed on my first visit. I also cannot wait to see if this will be happening next year so I can make sure I get there as soon as each kiosk opens and get ample time to taste everything.
When is the last time you visited Busch Gardens Williamsburg? Have you ever attended their Food and Wine Festivals before? Do you think you will be able to make this year’s Food and Wine Festival?
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