The Brand New Bourbon and BBQ Festival at Busch Gardens, Tampa

I have another festival update to post about, and this one is a little surprising... and a little not surprising — all at the same time. It looks like Busch Gardens is replacing the popular Busch Gardens Bier Fest with a brand new festival called "Bourbon and BBQ at Busch Gardens, Tampa".

The new festival starts just after the Fourth of July in 2024 and covers a seven week span, taking place on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays only. Those dates almost exactly overlap when "Bier Fest" was held, and if we check out the Busch Gardens, Tampa event page — there's no mention of Bier Fest anywhere for 2024.

Just like the park's new Red, White, & Brews event — we don't know much about food, beverage offerings, or possible concerts at Bourbon & BBQ— but it's a fair bet there's going to be Bourbon ... and BBQ.

The new Bourbon and BBQ festival at Busch Gardens is set to take place from July 19th, 2024 through September 2nd, 2024 — and again, that's only on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays between those dates.

I've set up a new page here on Mealtrip.com for any news, menus and/or possible concert lists as they come in — click here to visit the new Bourbon and BBQ Festival main page.

Because it doesn't seem too helpful having links to festivals that aren't being held anytime soon (or ever again) in the the Mealtrip main menu system, I've updated our main menu with those changes as well.

I've also set up a new "Festivals and Events" page which lists all the festivals that we've covered over the years — including the festivals and events that have gone missing. The "not currently scheduled" festivals are listed in a grayed-out bar on that page — but all of the content from those festivals is still available by clicking on the festival or event name. Click here to visit the Festivals and Events page here on Mealtrip.

As soon as I hear more about the new Bourbon and BBQ Festival Busch Gardens, Tampa — I'll let you know!

In the meantime though — the 2024 Busch Gardens, Tampa Food & Wine Festival has to take place first! Click here to visit our main page for Tampa Bay's favorite spring festival (which, technically, I don't have any information on yet either... but I'm sure once Busch Gardens gets done with the Mardi Gras event, they'll post something about Food & Wine).