WILLIAMSBURG, Va. and TAMPA BAY, Fla., March 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are open! For the rest of the year, we are welcoming guests back to explore each of our Busch Gardens parks' 100 plus acres of outdoor grounds and enjoy our thrilling rides and attractions, amazing animal exhibits and unique events featuring live entertainment, specialty food, beer, and cocktails. Busch Gardens Parks are operating with enhanced health and safety measures in place, including limited capacity to give guests one of the best experiences in a safe environment. Guests interested in visiting the parks during high season are encouraged to reserve their date-specific tickets early to secure park admission.

SEAS (PRNewsFoto/SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.)

"The thrilling rides and incredible animal encounters at Busch Gardens are the parks' hallmark offerings. The addition of our St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the return of the annual Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will certainly create a one-of-a-kind experience for each and every guest," said Marc Swanson, interim chief executive officer at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. "We are excited for this incredible line up of events and look forward to continuing to safely welcome guests at each of our parks this spring."

Beginning March 5, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is excited to welcome guests to the park for a new St. Patrick's Day Celebration featuring a taste of all things Irish. And, for the first time in more than a year, park guests are welcome to stroll safely through all ten of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's European villages.

Weekends between now and April 25, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will host its annual Food & Wine Festival, with more than 110 items to sample, including 20+ new dishes; 80+ wine, beer, and seltzers for all tastes; and 20+ refreshing cocktails plus live music from a series of artists, spanning a variety of genres.

HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Busch Gardens is committed to the health and safety of its guests, employees, and the animals in its care. The parks have worked diligently with state and local health officials, outside consultants, and attraction industry leaders to enhance already strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. These protocols and guidelines will be modified based on evolving industry standards and methodologies, public health, and governmental directives, and advancing scientific knowledge on the transmissibility of COVID-19.

BUSCH GARDENS WILLIAMSBURG

  • Next month, Busch Gardens Williamsburg will host a St. Patrick's Day Celebration on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, March 5 – 28, plus St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday, March 17, and will host a Members-only day on Saturday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. During event dates, hours will vary, and reservations are required. Guests will enjoy seasonal fare while singing along to classic Irish favorites and traditional folk tunes and enjoy performances from Virginia's Irish Dance Schools. Younger guests will also be able to enjoy a Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt and enjoy a socially distant meet-and-greet with Clancy, Busch Gardens' famous Leprechaun.
  • Event admission starts as low as $39.99. For the best admission option, guests can lock in an entire year of fun with a new 2021 Membership for as low as $11.25 per month with no down payment to visit Busch Garden Williamsburg again and again throughout the year. Admission to the new March special event is included for active Members, Annual Pass and Fun Card holders.
  • In addition, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has released its full 2021 special event lineup including the following:
    • Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from April 2-May 23
    • Sesame Street Kids' Weekends on Saturdays and Sundays from June 5-20
    • Busch Gardens Summer Nights running daily from June 25-July 29
    • Busch Gardens Bier Fest Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from July 30-Sept. 6
    • Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream select dates from Sept. 12-Oct. 31 and The Count's Spooktacular Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 25-Oct. 31
    • Busch Gardens Christmas Town select dates from Nov. 13- Jan. 2, 2022

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY

  • On weekends, including Fridays for the first time, Saturday and Sunday through April 25, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will host its Food & Wine Festival that not only features classic cuisines from around the country, but also live music from nationally recognized bands to local musicians, detailed below. For the first time in the festival's history, two limited-capacity shows will be offered for each headlining act at 5:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M., creating more physically distant options for guests to enjoy their favorite artists.
         Saturday, March 6:         Phillip Phillips
         Saturday, March 13:       Parmalee
         Saturday, March 20:       Dylan Scott
         Saturday, March 27:       38 Special
         Friday, April 2:                 Sugar Ray
         Saturday, April 3:             Sister Hazel
         Saturday, April 10:           LOCASH
         Saturday, April 17:           Tito Nieves
         Saturday, April 24:           Starship Feat. Mickey Thomas
  • During the event, guests can enjoy 24 food and wine cabins that include everything from Asian fusion inspired fresh twists to tasty Tex Mex, BBQ Fare, and even Coaster-Inspired Cocktails like the Iron Gwazi Gimlet. It's easy to find the perfect pairing to complement this year's festival menu with new hand-crafted mixologist cocktail recipes and a tasting tour of vineyards and breweries from around the globe. Guests who want a true taste of everything can purchase a 5-, 8-, or 12-item sampler for as low as $34.99 and pass members can exclusively purchase a 15-item sampler for the price of a 12-item sampler.
  • For those interested in visiting the park again and again throughout 2021, guests can purchase a Busch Gardens Fun Card for the price of a single day ticket offering access to both Busch Garden Williamsburg and Adventure Island. Alternatively, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum annual passes are also available which provide added benefits such as free parking, unlimited admission, in-park discounts and much more. To purchase single-day tickets and explore pass options, visit buschgardens.com/tampa.
  • In addition to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival, the park is excited to announce additional 2021 events, including the following:
    • Sesame Street Kids' Weekends from May 1-23
    • Guy Harvey Weekend on May 15 and 16
    • Busch Gardens Summer Nights occurring nightly from May 28-Sept. 5
    • Busch Gardens Bier Fest each weekend from Aug. 13-Oct. 31
    • Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream on select nights from Sept. 17-Oct. 31
    • Sesame Street Kids' Weekend occurring weekends from Oct. 2-31
    • Busch Gardens Christmas Town nightly from Nov. 12-Jan. 2

About SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter, and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world. The Company is one of the world's foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry, and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned, or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue team has helped more than 38,000 animals in need over the Company's history.  SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens®, Aquatica®, Sesame Place® and Sea Rescue®. Over its more than 60-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection. The Company's theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.

Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. can be obtained online at www.seaworldentertainment.com. Shareholders and prospective investors can also register to automatically receive the Company's press releases, SEC filings and other notices by e-mail by registering at that website.

Contact:
Lori Cherry
lori.cherry@seaworld.com

 

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SOURCE Busch Gardens Parks