Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival returns: Here’s a guide

Now in its eighth year, Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival returns March 10 with appetizer-sized dishes, drinks and a concert series that includes Kansas, Flo Rida, Walk the Moon and Dustin Lynch.

The festival runs on weekends through May 21. Though the food and drink options cost extra (from $6 to $12), the concerts are included with admission.

The park has followed the trend of plant-based desires from its customers and upped its vegetarian options to include a vegetable samosa with peppadew-tomato chutney, which is a flaky pastry filled with spiced potatoes, onions and peas. There’s also a vegetarian African vegetable curry and naan among the new food items this year.

The Greek Isles kiosk will offer stuffed grape leaves with tzatziki sauce and a lamb lollipop with a mint demi-glace (both gluten free). The Latin Twist stand will have a chimichurri beef skewer, mojo pork taco and, for dessert, a pina colada trifle, which is a vanilla cake with vanilla pudding, pineapple, coconut and whipped topping.

Other offerings at the festival include a twist on egg rolls with Buffalo chicken and Philly cheese steak options and an Asian-inspired spicy pork belly with mandarin orange soy glaze.

A 10-item sampler lanyard is $70 and a 15-item pass is $85 at buschgardens.com.

The concert series is included with admission, though you can buy premium seating for $49.99.

Concert lineup

March 11: Kansas

March 12: Maddie & Tae

March 18: SWV

March 19: Dustin Lynch

March 25: Rodney Atkins

March 26: Flo Rida

April 1: Jeremy Camp

April 2: MacKenzie Porter

April 8: Live

April 9: The Fab Four (Beatles tribute)

April 15: 38 Special

April 16: Mitchell Tenpenny

April 22: Air Supply

April 23: Gabby Barrett

April 29: Hoobastank

April 30: Walk the Moon

May 5: Como La Flor Band

May 7: El Gran Combo

May 20: Elvis Crespo

If you go

Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival: Running weekends March 10 through May 21 kiosks around the park will have small plates, cocktails, wine and craft beers and there is a concert series. Open noon-10 p.m. on Saturdays and until 9 p.m. on Sundays. Concerts are included with admission; food and drinks extra. A 10-item sampler lanyard is $70 and a 15-item pass is $85 at buschgardens.com.