What Doesn't Kill You, Makes you Crazy: Get your appetite ready for some food and fun at Busch Gardens 4th Food & Wine Festival

It’s that time of year again, anticipation for the upcoming Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens. This year there are new items to try and 2 brand new kiosks. This relatively new Food & Wine event at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, is in its 4th year. The Food & Wine event began in the early summer 2013.

Most of your favorite food will be back that was enjoyed last year and new Kiosks for Hawaii and Local Virginia will replace 2 less popular kiosks. No Scotland or Scandinavia this year, oh Scottish Egg you will be missed.

The Festival lasts from May 27 - June 26 and is on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. (Plus Memorial Day). Kiosks open at 11 am. and serve all day.

Fun at the Food & Wine Festival

Besides food and drink the festival features live music and “The Art of Food” a unique experience with renowned chefs, making beautiful art from food. Of course all regular Busch Gardens rides and attractions are open. There is no additional ticket for Food & Wine; it is part of your park admission.

You can buy Cashless wrist bands to either designate a budget, pay for a certain amount up front. Or attach to a credit card so you can just scan the wristband at kiosks, No fumbling for cash or your wallet.

The food used in the food and wine event is top notch, local whenever possible, and all food is made in house. This includes the sauces, and all meats are smoked here.

Wine and Beer selections are more bountiful during Food & Wine with beers and wines from all over the world. So opportunity to try new drinks, you may find that you may not like beer, but dark beer...oh that's delicious (this happened to me). There will also be specialty drinks at most kiosks, some will be cocktails with alcohol and others will be teas, lemonades non-alcoholic fare.

Busch Gardens is one of the very few theme parks known for its food. People visit here for a delicious meal and the atmosphere even if they aren’t thrill seekers. Sometimes they are just seeking new thrills for their palate.

This year’s Kiosks include the following culinary delights from around the US and the world. The Majority of Kiosks also feature lovely theming to just add a bit more fun to the whole experience. The menus are mostly the same as last year with noted exceptions.

· American South West
· Asia
· Canada
· Caribbean
· Crepes & Coffee
· France (adding Beignets- French doughnuts)
· French Quarter
· Germany (swapped out the linzer torte for a German Chocolate cake)
· Greece
· Hawaii – (NEW has 4 dishes, and one dessert, see below)
· Italy (Italian bites are sold at Marco Polo Marketplace now)
· Ireland
· Spain (no more dessert)
· Virginia (NEW, See below)

Ah Hawaii, we have yet to visit you, but this year we can taste you. This new kiosk is in Ireland near Castle O Sullivan where Scandinavia was. Very excited to see what they will do with the theming.

Hawaii Menu

Root Vegetable Chips with Maui Onion Dip- Sweet Potato, Taro Root and Beet Root, made into chips with a caramelized sweet onion dip (vegetarian)

Spam Slider-Spam with Sriracha Mayo, grilled pineapple and pineapple-coconut Cole slaw

Huli Huli Chicken- Sweet Pineapple and Soy BBQ Chicken served with Orange and Purple sweet potato salad

Tuna Poke- Soy & Sesame Sushi tuna served in a wonton flower with wasabi aioli, wakame seaweed salad

Haupi Tart- Sweet coconut mousse with Kona coffee ganache in a crispy tart shell

Drinks will consist of two types of beer, a Blue Hawaiian and a Hibiscus Lemonade

Virginia is replacing the Scotland kiosk, in the Highland Stables area.

Local Virginia Menu

Pork Rinds with Virginia dips- Deviled ham pate, smoked bacon, Pimento cheese, onion chip

She-Crab Soup- a Virginian favorite, creamy crab soup made with Chesapeake bay crabs, sherry, and crostini instead of croutons.

Smithfield Ham tasting- Red Eye Country Ham, Hickory Smoked Pit Ham, Applewood carved ham; served with biscuit, apple butter, raspberry jam and honey mustard

Bacon & Cheddar hush puppies-cornmeal fritters with Virginia honey butter

Pecan, Bacon & Chocolate Bars

Beverages: 4 kinds of Beer, 4 types of Wine and apple pie moonshine

We will give our full report after we return from opening weekend.