Mardi Gras 2025

Mardi Gras 2025 at Busch Gardens Tampa was scheduled on weekends beginning January 11 and continuing through March 2, 2025. Advertised on the park’s website as a family-friendly event, Mardi Gras 2025 included live entertainment and special food & beverage items.

Event Details

Kicking off Saturday, January 11, 2025, the event was scheduled to continue each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through its end on March 2, 2025. Mardi Gras was also scheduled on Monday, January 20, 2025. The event was concentrated in the Bird Gardens & Morocco areas of the park, with most of the event taking place in the area surrounding the lagoon outside of Springs Taproom.

Entertainment included a Mardi Gras Parade, Brass Animals band, and a “Bead Balcony” where guests could catch beads several times each event day. A variety of special dishes and drinks were available at nine locations as part of Mardi Gras, with offerings including etouffee, po’boys, beignets, and hurricanes. Culinary locations were scheduled to open at noon on event days.

Guests could purchase a 5-item sampler for $40, allowing them to use the punches on the card for food or beverage items from the Mardi Gras locations. The samplers were available for purchase online in advance, or by visiting the Mardi Gras Welcome Center (located next to Xcursions gift shop) or at cabin #9 (French Quarter Wines).



Culinary Offerings

There were nine culinary locations as part of Mardi Gras 2025, most located in the Bird Gardens area plus a special soft pretzel at Twisted Tails in Pantopia.

1) Hurricanes

  • Green Fairy Craft Standard Cocktail Vodka, Triple Sec, Green Apple, and Margarita flavors
  • Hurricane Craft Standard Cocktail – Light and Dark Rum, Triple Sec, Passionfruit, and Margarita Flavors
  • Carnival King by Magnanimous
  • Ology Blended Auras Amber Lager – Balanced malt sweetness and slight hoppy amber ale
  • Hard Seltzers
  • Coca-Cola products & water

2) Whiskey Tasting

3) Sweet Treats

  • Mardi Gras “King Cake style” Beignet – Drizzles of kiwi-lime, mango, blackberry sauces to celebrate the colors of Mardi Gras
  • Bourbon Street Beignet – Assorted berries macerated in a sweet bourbon
  • Bottled Beer
  • Hard Seltzers
  • Coca-Cola products & water

4) Voodoo Lounge

  • Sidecar Craft Standard Cocktail – Brandy, Triple Sec with Pink Lemonade Flavor
  • Blackberry Smash Craft Standard Cocktail – Bourbon, Blackberry Brandy, with Mojito flavors
  • Mardi Gras Bock by Abita – Traditional bock ale with a malty flavor
  • Passion of the Heights by Florida Avenue Brewing – Tropical wheat ale

5) Esplanade Street Bites

  • Shrimp Creole, Rice – Shrimp simmered in butter with garlic, holy trinity (onions, red bell peppers, celery), Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, tabasco
  • Coca-Cola products & water



6) Jackson Square

  • Crawfish Etouffee, Rice – Crawfish simmered in a sauce with the holy trinity (onions, green bell peppers, celery) and tomatoes, thickened with a blond roux served over rice
  • Bourbon Street Daisy Craft Standard Cocktail – Bourbon, Triple Sec with Margarita Flavor
  • Purple Passion Craft Standard Cocktail – Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Blackberry Brandy, Desert Pear and Margarita Flavors
  • Amber Lager by Abita
  • Let Us Eat Cake by Florida Avenue Brewing – Strawberry shortcake lager
  • Bottled Beer
  • Hard Seltzers
  • Coca-Cola products & water

7) Street Bites

  • Cajun Rice – Black beans, tomatoes, Beyond Burger meat, holy trinity (onions, green bell peppers, celery), garlic, cumin, cinnamon, rice, Cajun seasoning
  • Andouille Sausage Po’ Boy – Andouille sausage, caramelized onions, Cajun ketchup, served on a soft roll
  • Bottled Beer
  • Hard Seltzers
  • Coca-Cola products & water

8) The Creamery

  • Banana Foster Crepe a’ la mode – Sliced bananas, caramel, dark rum topped with vanilla soft serve
  • Strawberry Crepe a’ la mode – Strawberries, strawberry glaze topped with vanilla soft serve
  • Fountain Drinks

9) French Quarter Wines

  • Red Wine – Selection of Red Wines
  • White Wine – Selection of White Wines
  • Coca-Cola products & water

Twisted Tails

  • Boudin Pretzel – Boudin sausage encased in Twisted Tails famous pretzel dough, remoulade sauce



Additional details on Mardi Gras 2025 may be added in the future.

Sources

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Mardi Gras – accessed 1/15/2025
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Mardi Gras Upgrades – accessed 1/15/2025
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Mardi Gras Menu – accessed 1/15/2025

 

Last updated: January 15, 2025