Welcoming 2021 with high spirits and high thrills, exciting events will safely return to the park starting with the Busch Gardens Mardi Gras event, now expanded to weekends and select dates from January 16 to February 16.
With more weekends to celebrate safely, Busch Gardens is getting jazzed up with music, beads and more for open-air festivities with French-Quarter flair. Guests will have the opportunity to catch some beads from physically distant New Orleans street performers periodically strolling throughout the day. There will be plenty of room to dance through spacious walkways while enjoying festive tunes from live musicians while flavorful dishes and cocktails tempt the senses.
Busch Gardens Mardi Gras Dates and Times
The Mardi Gras celebration will be held select dates and run from noon to closing time. Most of those dates are Friday, Saturday, Sunday, with a few Mondays, and of course Fat Tuesday as well.
- January 16 noon-9pm
- January 17 noon-9pm
- January 18 noon-7pm
- January 22 noon-6pm
- January 23 noon-8pm
- January 24 noon-6pm
- January 29 noon-6pm
- January 30 noon-8pm
- January 31 noon-6pm
- February 5 noon-6pm
- February 6 noon-8pm
- February 7 noon-6 pm
- February 12 noon-6pm
- February 13 noon-8pm
- February 14 noon-8pm
- February 15 noon-8pm
- February 16 noon-5pm
Feast like Kings and Queens on Classic Cajun Cuisine at Busch Garden Mardi Gras
Busch Gardens has brought the “Big Easy” to Tampa Bay with Mardi Gras-inspired food including a signature shrimp po’ boy, hearty jambalaya, and hot and fresh beignets. Handcrafted cocktail classics like Hurricanes join new signature drinks for a perfect pairing with the park’s carefully crafted culinary offering, which can be best enjoyed with a Mardi Gras Sampler Lanyard. Starting at $34.99 for a 5-punch lanyard with a 10-punch option and an exclusive 12-punch lanyard for Pass Members, Sampler Lanyards make it easy for guests to embrace that “Fat Tuesday” feeling!
Returning Spring Events
Sesame Street Kids Weekends, January 30 – February 14
For kids and kids-at-heart, there are more special moments with Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and the rest of their Sesame Street friends coming up this season! Fans won’t want to miss new physically distant celebrations for Elmo’s birthday and Valentine’s Day this year.
Food & Wine Festival, Friday to Sunday, February 20 – 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.
Busch Gardens Health and Safety
The Busch Gardens team has consulted with medical experts to offer modified events with required reservations and limited capacity for safe celebrations. All seasonal events feature open-air entertainment throughout the park’s more than 300 spacious acres as well as enhanced health and safety measures including increased cleaning and sanitation, temperature checks, face covering requirements and physical distancing. Reservations are required and limited and can be made at www.BuschGardensTampa.com.
Mom Maven’s Thoughts on visiting Busch Gardens Right Now
We plan to attend Mardi Gras, not sure of which date yet. We purchased Busch Gardens Fun Passes last year on Black Friday. We attended Christmas Town in December, our favorite Busch Gardens event. I shared on my personal Facebook wall then, and I am sharing publicly here, if you have fears of crowds because of Covid, Busch Gardens isn’t the place for you.
I don’t know what percent of capacity they are at but, it was crowded, like a normal Christmas Town night. Workers were not enforcing the proper wearing of masks, as other theme parks are. There was an occasional message over the PA speakers reminding everyone to wear masks and social distance, but that was it.
There were few social distancing markers throughout the park, in ride queues, or in food areas. If you are immune compromised or living in fear, stay home. I am neither and I will be visiting again soon.
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