Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival 2024 – the many reasons why you don’t want to miss it!

Experience Foodie Paradise during Virginia’s Largest Spring Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

This spring, new flavors and thrills are in bloom as Busch Gardens’ Food & Wine Festival celebrates ten years on Thursdays through Sundays from April 25 – June 9, 2024!

A complete menu of the Food & Wine Festival dishes and drinks can be found online at Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival page. 18 tasting locations and over 150 menu options. There will be something for every member of your family!

This year the Food & Wine Festival coincides with the restoration and opening of The Loch Ness Monster. Busch Gardens’ most iconic attraction, which opened 46 years ago, just got a full restoration with new thematic elements and a refurbished steel track. Our full review on Loch Ness is coming soon but for now back to the Food & Wine Festival.

The best way to sip and sample is with a Food & Wine Festival sampler lanyard. Guests can embark on their culinary journey and save 10 percent with a 10-sample lanyard or extend the savings up to 20 percent with the fan-favorite 15-sampler.

In addition to the Food & Wine festivities, beer and cocktail lovers raise your glasses to the new OktoberTaps location featuring Perfect Pour technology with eight craft brews and four thirst quenching cocktails on tap.

Best Way to Visit and Ride – Busch Gardens Spring Sale

This popular food festival returns to take guests on an unforgettable culinary adventure with over 150 international flavors.

This is a great opportunity to sample cuisine from around the world and we do mean cuisine – this is not your ordinary amusement park fare.

Admission to the festival is included with park admission, and individual tastings range in price.  If you have an Annual Membership make sure to present it when you purchase your food for a discount. You can also prepay for meal tickets – which will save you money.

Here is how the Food & Wine Festival works; 18 different kiosks are set up throughout Busch Gardens on Thursdays – Sundays & Memorial Day. Each one is easily identified with the Food & Wine Festival logo and a four-sided billboard telling you about the country you are sampling from and interesting food facts. Large signs with that country’s menus are near each kiosk. Pick up a Food & Wine Festival Guide located at each participating country, these guides include a map of the park, locating each kiosk and it also includes menus for each country.

Try food and beverage items not normally served at the Williamsburg theme park!

An array of specialty beverages, such as the all-new Tangerine Creamsicle Ale, Nigerian Chapman, Mango Caipirinha, and a variety of refreshing Sangria choices, will be available.

Live Music

Enjoy live music and entertainment in France Plaza from local artists, Fridays through Sunday, April 27 through June 9. Artists will perform at two locations (France Plaza and Prost stage) at 3 different times at each location during the day.

Local Live Music at the Food & Wine Festival Schedule for 2024

1. The People Collection – April 27
2. Darcy Dawn – April 27 & May 5
3. Audacity Brass Band April 28, May 11, 12, 25 & June 8
4. Lane Rice – April 28, May 11, 26, & June 9
5. Rob Oliver & The Attractors May 4 & 5
6. daughter – May 4
7. Tyler Meacham – May 12, June 1, 2 & 8
8. Drew Dunbar – May 18
9. NovaKane May 18
10. Melissa Quinn Fox May 19
11. Mango Thieves May 19
12. Clayton Perry May 25
13. The Darrows May 26
14. Broke Royals June 1 & 2

Taste of Busch Gardens:

There are many tasty reasons to come back week after week:

Here is a short run down including our favorite samples from 2024!

VIRGINIA
This is the first Kiosk you will come to once you enter the park, it is located near the Train Station and horse stables. The Bacon Cheddar Hushpuppies were a big hit with the teens…I mean bacon, bread, cheese and honey you really can’t go wrong!

HAWAII
Located in Ireland, next to Castle O’Sullivan. The Mac & Cheese is not on the menu for 2024 however the Hibiscus Lemonade is and its delicious and a great non-alcoholic treat on a hot day if you have non-drinkers or kids with you. We enjoyed a nice cold adult beverage while the kids had the lemonade.

HIGHLAND SPIRITS
Located near the Loch Ness Monster is the Highland Spirits Kiosk. Note this is one of the NEW Kiosks this year and is just for adults featuring Scotch, Bourbon & Whiskey drinks and tastings as well as cocktails! Cheers friends.

AFRICA
Africa is located across from Finnegan’s Flyer and is a NEW Kiosk to the park so we had to try it this year! The Peri Peri Chicken was so good with the chili garlic sauce! Don’t skip over the Koshary, I’m going to learn to make this at home, it was so good with a little spice, I might lighter on the tomato sauce but otherwise it was one my favorites and vegan friendly!

FRENCH QUARTER
Located in France across from the Royal Palace Theater. Our sweet tooth took over and we ordered two desserts. The Bananas Foster Cheesecake with rum caramel sauce was delicious, of course the Beignets were not too bad either! You can definitely split either of these between two people.

BRAZIL
Located in New France, next to the Trapper’s Smokehouse. We’ve heard wonderful things about the Brazilian Kiosk over the years! The Churrasco is a must, this is grilled beef with a chimichurri sauce. The Linguica (Brazilian sausage) is also worth a try. Also to note if you enjoy mixed drinks this is your opportunity to try the Mango Caipirinha, made with cachaca, mango & lime! (note: the Malbec is not on the menu this year)

BARKASTLE SPIRITS
Don’t be fooled by the name of this Kiosk there are more than just a Bar! BarKastle (located next to DarKoaster) has the absolute best dessert we tasted! The Bourbon Chocolate Tart was amazing!! If you are only going to sample a few items at the Food & Wine Festival put this on the list. This is a big statement but I will stand behind it. The Virginia Pimento Beer Cheese Dip was ok but honestly it probably wasn’t a fair fight up against the Chocolate Tart.

ITALY
If you have someone in your party that is looking for something filling the Giant Meatball is the perfect option!! The picture does not do the size of the meatball justice! I guesstimate it’s a 1/4 pounder. The Caprese salad was a nice fresh addition to the heavy meatball.

TURKEY
Located in Italy, near The Battering Ram, Turkey is a NEW Kiosk in the park this year! The Cuban Salatasl is so good and the perfect side for a warm spring day! We enjoyed the Simit and Ayran which was nice and refreshing.

ISLAND FREEZE
Located in Germany across from Verboten. They have draft beers, frozen cocktails and ciders. Both the Bellini and Bahama Mama were delicious!

Plant-based options (vegan friendly) are available in Africa and Island Freeze.

WINE TASTINGS
The park has 5 wine-tasting experiences and everyone receives a complimentary souvenir glass (Bella Casa, La Belle Maison, Germany Gifts, La Belle Wine Bar and Emerald Isle Gifts).

Now here are a few insider tips:

Admission to the festival is included with park admission, and individual tastings range in price. Food portions are generous sampling size so you can visit several countries. You can save a little cash if you choose to do a Food or Wine Sampler. 

Wine tasting is a fun addition to the Festival. If you like the wine and want to buy a bottle – you can buy right at the tasting.  They will even uncork it so you can enjoy it all around Busch Gardens with your friends.  They will put it in a gift bag (if it is a red) or you can purchase a cooler bag from a gift store and fill it with ice if it is a white. We saw many folks walking around with their newly purchased bottles and sharing them with their party.

Your kids will delight at The Art of Food – where food becomes art. In 2016 in Ireland Greg Butauski and his team made a turtle from a butternut squash!

I have to point out the utensil dispensers, I am in love with this concept and appreciate the cleanliness!! Yes, I realize this could be silly to include but it left such an impression on me that it has to be valuable information to others so there you go (:

Need a ticket discount – check out our latest Busch Gardens & Water Country USA discounts post for all the coupon codes, Groupons and Special Offers we can find – HERE

Cheers to another great Food & Wine Festival!

Visit here for more Busch Gardens events and check out our Daily Calendar too!