Busch Gardens Tampa Adding New Festival Fun For 2021

Busch Gardens Tampa is kicking off 2021 with a brand new event, plus the return of some old favorites. The park has guidelines in place for guests to enjoy their time at the events while also remaining as safe as possible. Let’s take a quick look at what’s ahead for 2021. 

Busch Gardens Tampa’s First Mardi Gras

New this year, the park is having its very first Mardi Gras Celebration! This celebration will take place on weekends and select dates beginning January 16 and running through February 16. This event is included with regular park admission. Here’s a rundown of how the event will run:

Guests will have the opportunity to catch beads from physically distant street performers that will periodically stroll throughout the day, while the vibrant sounds of jazz performed by live musicians fills the air.

Busch Gardens is bringing the “Big Easy” to Tampa with a selection of Mardi Gras inspired food, including hot and fresh beignets, jambalaya, and a signature shrimp po’ boy. Handcrafted cocktail classics like Hurricanes join new signature drinks for a perfect pairing with the park’s carefully crafted culinary offerings.

Sampler lanyards will be available for purchase starting at $34.99 (passholders are eligible for a discount when your pass is presented at time of purchase) in 5 and 10 punch options as well as an exclusive 12 punch for the price of 10 option for passholders. We always recommend the sampler lanyards as the best way to get the most bang for your buck (and they can be brought back to finish unused punches throughout the event). We tend to plan out our card usage in advance so we can take maximum advantage of savings (always use punches for the highest priced options and pay cash for inexpensive items and non-alcoholic drinks). 

Busch Gardens Tampa 2021 Events

Mardi Gras is just the beginning for Busch Gardens in 2021. Along with this new event, there’s a whole host of returning favorite events that have been modified for current times. Here’s what has been announced so far this year at Busch Gardens Tampa this year:

Sesame Street Kids Weekends returns January 30 through February 14 for kids and kids at heart for special moments with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and the rest of the Sesame Street gang. Fans won’t want to miss the new celebrations for Elmo’s birthday and Valentine’s Day this year.

The annual Food and Wine Festival (which was sadly cut short last year due to the unexpected shutdown) will be back Fridays through Sundays beginning February 20 through April 25. Taste buds will bloom this spring with a delicious menu of dishes and drinks as dynamic and unique as the park’s thrilling roller coaster collection. Guests will also enjoy a taste of local musical talent throughout the open-air festival to accompany their sweet and savory samples.

The popular Summer Nights event will have an extra long nightly run from May 28 through September 5. The park is clearly adding extra value to help entice wary tourists. You can read our coverage of last year’s altered Summer Nights event in the article below:

Summer Nights Event Returns to Busch Gardens Tampa With Changes

So far, these are all the events at Busch Gardens Tampa has assigned dates to. However, other announced events which don’t have dates yet include the fall Bier Fest, Howl-O-Scream, and the fall version of Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends. Additionally, the Christmas Town event has been added to the calendar, but just under the general Winter timeline. As we get closer to the upcoming seasons, more info will be available about announced dates.