Busch Gardens Williamsburg is adding a new food festival with incredible dining options. This exciting news also includes details on attractions that will be reopening that were previously closed, including Alpengeist and Verbolten! Check out all that the food festival has to offer!
Williamsburg, Virginia (Aug. 28, 2020) – Busch Gardens® Williamsburg announced today, the launch of an ALL-NEW special event – Taste of Busch Gardens. Park guests can sip, sample and soar during this new, limited capacity, flavorful experience. Guests will have plenty of outdoor space as they stroll through the park’s 150 acres and taste a delicious culinary fusion of Food & Wine Festival fan favorites, new twists on traditional park entrées, plus wine tastings and specialty beverages not normally served in the park. This special event will also feature four iconic roller coasters, a log flume ride, and a high flying Screamin’ Swing, that will add to the fun for friends and families. Taste of Busch Gardens will run Sept. 2 – 27, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 5 – 9 p.m., and Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 – 9 p.m.
In compliance with Virginia’s phase 3 safety guidelines for reopening businesses, Taste of Busch Gardens will operate with enhanced health and safety protocols for cleaning and sanitizing, physical distancing, face covering requirements and temperature screenings. Special event capacity will be extremely limited to create ample space for guests to enjoy their experience, while maintaining physical distancing in a safe environment. Reservations can be made by visiting the park’s website.
The Taste of Busch Gardens special event will offer all-new experiences for everyone including:
- NEW FOOD AND DRINKS: 15 specialty foods and 30+ wines, beers and specialty beverages
- NEW VILLAGES: Oktoberfest & Rhinefeld
- NEW COASTERS: Alpengeist® & Verbolten®
- NEW RIDES: Der Wirblewind, Le Scoot and Kinder Karussel
Event Details
Tastes of Busch Gardens will offer guests a taste of the world when they visit six of the park’s villages including newly added Rhinefeld and Oktoberfest, in addition to Scotland, Ireland, France and New France.
While roaming the park’s expansive grounds, guests can embark on a flavor-filled journey to choose from 10 food and beverage kiosks. Fifteen specialty foods and desserts, more than 30 beers from around the world, and 10 specialty drink specials will be spread out throughout six of the park’s themed villages. A sampling of the event will include offerings like:
- NEW – Best of Food & Wine Festival – Offerings include Bangers & Colcannon, Gamba Fritters, Mushi-Gyoza and Hibiscus Lemonade
- NEW – The Brew Bar – A variety of beers and a delicious Charcuterie plate will be on tap at this location.
- NEW – ‘Old Country’ Fries – Menu includes an array of golden French fry servings from around the world complete with Italian, English and Irish toppings complemented with cold draft beer selections.
- NEW – Decadent Delights – Sweet offerings include Beignets, a Cookie Dough Cone, Cannoli’s, alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty drinks..
- NEW – Chef’s Choice – The menu is set with a variety of favorites including Steak Chimichurri, Jerk Chicken Slider, Risotto and specialty drinks.
- NEW BEVERAGE AND DESSERT OFFERINGS – Loukamades fried donuts, wine tastings, craft beers and a Sangria Garden featuring flavors like Red, Citrus Moscato and Strawberry. Tastings require an additional fee.
Thrill seekers can also enjoy the park’s other iconic coasters and rides, with physically distant seating, including Finnegan’s Flyer®, Griffon®, InvadR® and much more. And after soaring through the air, guests can continue their experience by visiting Busch Garden’s famous Clydesdales, wolves and eagles, and indulging in an amazing array of specialty food and wine offerings, and barbecue fare with outdoor seating at Trapper’s Smokehouse. 
“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,” said Kevin Lembke, president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg. “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.”
Specific detailed safety information about the measures guests can expect when they arrive at the park, including key operational changes, can be found by visiting our health and safety website at Buschgardens.com/williamsburg/
This special event admission starts at $44.99. Consumers can bundle admission and a tasting card for $68.99 (includes five menu items) or $92.99 (includes 10 menu items). For best value, guests have the option to purchase a Membership for as low as $10.99 per month, with no down payment. Members receive 12 months of unlimited visitation and park benefits and rewards including FREE parking*, in-park discounts and much more. Admission is included for active Members, Annual Pass Holders and Fun Card holders.
Guests can receive the latest information on hours of operation for Busch Gardens Williamsburg by visiting, BuschGardensWilliams