The good times are rolling at Busch Gardens Tampa with their Mardi Gras celebration. Guests can enjoy special food and beverage offerings, an energetic parade, live music and of course, beads!
The party atmosphere begins right when you enter the park as you are greeted by performers in Mardi Gras costumes. Their infectious energy sets the tone for the experience right at the gate before you head back to the Mardi Gras area of the park, which is back by the bird gardens.
And in that area, you’ll not only find festive and colorful decorations but also multiple food booths with some special Mardi Gras offerings. My personal favorite was the Smoked Pepper Brisket with chipotle cream, green onions and New Orleans kettle chips.
And for a truly authentic taste of New Orleans, there’s also the Creole-Style Jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage. This dish pairs nicely with the Spiced Vanilla Old-Fashioned Cocktail, which is also available at the same booth. And by the way, if you want a strong drink, that’s the one to go with.
And don’t worry, there’s plenty of dessert options available as well. My personal choice was the Mardi Gras Waffle Cone Sundae, which consists of salted caramel ice cream, popcorn, chocolate drizzle, whipped topping and cherries. It’s a bit messy (as is often the case with ice cream in Florida) but it’s definitely delicious.
And if you want to make sure you get to try all of your favorites, you can always pick up either a five- or 10-item sampling lanyard. You can get five items for a total of $35 or 10 items for $55 and you can order both here.
And then there’s the party itself. Multiple times a day, guests are treated to a special parade with more energetic performers, upbeat music and some amazing costumes.
And that’s just the start of the party! As the parade makes its way out of the area, some of the performers stay behind to toss out colorful beads to those who want to commemorate their Mardi Gras visit with a nice souvenir.
Another fun part of that parade is the authentic brass band that accompanies the other performers. The musicians then take the stage at the bird gardens and play Bourbon street beats and jazz classics.
Watch all the fun in the video below:
Busch Gardens Tampa’s Mardi Gras is a fun way to spend a day at the park and enjoy some extra festivities. Mardi Gras is running now through March 6th.