It was a huge surprise when Busch Gardens Williamsburg announced in late 2012 that they would be taking advantage of the huge interest in gourmet food and wines and would offer their very own “Food and Wine Festival”. The only thing that was known about the event is that it will be sometime in Spring. However, the Rumor Mill started churning this morning and we may have a little more information about the event.
Before we begin, we must say that these are merely rumors. They have not been confirmed by the park, so therefore…as of now…it’s not true. Take this all with a grain of salt.
The first thing we’ve heard hammered down is the name. The biggest worry of the event was that the name “Food and Garden Festival” would either be trademarked, or would cause confusion. It appears that not only is the name not trademarked, but it also serves the purpose of stating exactly what it is….Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Food&Wine Festival.
Dates are rumored to be taking place weekends from May 31st – June 23rd. The event will start just after Memorial Day weekend and go into the start of the summer season.
The event will be included with park admission….but food and wine samples will not be. It’s extremely similar to EPCOT in that matter. You can walk around and look at the booths, and will not cost anything to “do the festival” but if you want to eat or drink, the samples will cost something. Samples will cost between $3 and $6 dollars, depending on the item. It’s also rumored that there will be a special wristband that will allow guests to try all the food for about $35 or $40 dollars.
The event is said to take place either throughout the park in different areas (much like EPCOT’s in World Showcase) or in Festhaus Park. Festhaus Park is where the park holds concerts and other special events, so this makes a ton of sense. Special event merchandise is also rumored to be available, with everything from T-shirts to even aprons and glasses.
If these rumors hold true, it sounds like the Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food and Wine Festival could be a pretty popular event. So, what do you think?
Please remember that the park has made no official announcement, so until it does, these are simply rumors.
For more information, including tickets, visit the official Busch Gardens Website!
