We are back with another update from Busch Gardens Tampa, which is celebrating its annual Bier Fest event. We also got our first sightings of Howl-O-Scream, and… some Iron Gwazi news!
Busch Gardens Bier Fest
First up, Bier Fest! If you love beer, this is the event for you. There are so many amazing brews to try from craft breweries across Florida and across the country! And if you’re not a beer fan, Busch Gardens has you covered too with several cocktails to sample, bourbon tastings, plus a whole assortment of food options.
And if you like food, this year’s festival offerings do not disappoint. Everything from bison and hot chicken sliders, pineapple skewers, goat cheese mac & cheese, rainbow cheesecake, and even plant-based options are available to satisfy your taste buds.
Once again, sampler lanyards are available for purchase. We always highly recommend purchasing one to get the best bang for your buck. Use your sampler punches for higher-priced food and drink items and use cash for less expensive items. Plus, sampler lanyards are good throughout Bier Fest’s run, so if you have any leftover punches, save them for your next visit to use!
Bier fest runs every Friday-Sunday now through October 31. Food and drink kiosks open at noon on festival days.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Halloween
Haunt season is fast approaching, and Busch Gardens is getting ready to unleash another round of fear with this year’s Howl-O-Scream. We spotted some scare zone props scattered around the park during our visit.
This year’s event will feature three new houses along with returning houses that have been given sinister twists. There will also be three brand new scare zones in addition to several returning scare zones and roaming hordes throughout the park.
Howl-O-Scream begins Friday, September 10 and will run every Friday-Sunday through October 31. It is a separate hard-ticket event not included with regular daytime admission. Tickets start at $99 and there’s currently an early pre-season sale where you can save up to 55% off on tickets and haunt season passes. 
Learn more about this year’s Howl-O-Scream in our coverage below.
Iron Gwazi Update
We finally have an update on Iron Gwazi! After several delays, the park has announced its newest roller coaster will finally be opening in March of 2022! We’ve waited this long, so what’s a few more months? All we know is we simply can not wait to hop aboard this purple behemoth!
Around the Park
Let’s wrap up today’s update with a look around the park. Crowds were much lighter during this visit compared to our visits over the summer. This was probably due to schools in Florida being back in session, it was super hot and humid, and we visited on a Sunday. The longest wait we saw for any ride was around 45 minutes (compared to over 2 hours for some coasters over the summer).
The Serengeti Express train ride is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the park has released some shirts to commemorate this milestone.
When visiting a theme park on an extremely hot/humid day, it is very important to remember to stay hydrated and take breaks from the heat to cool off. We took frequent breaks in some of the restaurants that had indoor seating with air conditioning, and paid a visit to the Giraffe Bar (this is quickly becoming our favorite rest stop at the park).
We ended our day with a viewing of SPARK! A Nighttime Spectacular, which runs every weekend through September 6. They have plussed up the show with a water fountain and fire effects in the festival field viewing area. This definitely added some more fun kinetic energy to the show.
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Let’s Hear From You
Even though the weather is still hot and humid, it’s been quite enjoyable to visit Busch Gardens. And with so much going on this haunt season, I’m looking forward to returning, both for food and beer as well as getting my scare on.
I look forward to hearing from you!