ORLANDO, Fla. — Busch Gardens Tampa is moving forward with its plans for Mardi Gras events with an emphasis on social distance and other pandemic modifications.
The theme park’s event runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Jan. 16-Feb. 14 plus Jan. 18 and Feb. 15-16. The festivities are included with regular park admission.
Busch Gardens’ Mardi Gras celebration will include bead-throwing street performers (from a distance) and live musicians. The theme park will also sell Cajun food and other cuisines, including beignets, Creole-style shrimp, crawfish etoufee, pork po’boys and hurricanes.
The attraction continues to require park reservations as well as temperature checks and face coverings. It will have limited capacity for the event. Reservations can be made at buschgardenstampa.com.
Other upcoming Busch Gardens events include Sesame Street Weekends (Jan. 30-Feb. 14) and its food and wine festival (Fridays through Sundays, Feb. 20-April 26). Busch Gardens is operated by Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
Universal Studios has not announced plans or dates for 2021 Mardi Gras, although the event appears on its official website. It is listed as “select days in spring.” Universal Orlando has canceled Rock the Universe, its annual Christian-music gathering for 2021. The site says it will return in January 2022.
Last year’s Mardi Gras celebrations at the theme parks were interrupted by mid-March shutdowns in reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Universal’s 2020 event started on Feb. 1 with a concert by the Roots.
