Sixty beers, forty bourbons, and a whole lotta BBQ. Sound good? Making its fourth annual descent on Tampa is the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival, to be held at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Saturday, February 18th from 2-6 p.m.

All attendees receive a souvenir glass for an all you can taste sampler available at individual vendor tents. There will be seminars in the tasting theater, a gaming area and live music all day. The gaming area will showcase trike races, giant Jenga and corn hole for starters. Featured bands include Ronnie Dee and The Superstars and The Spazmatics. In addition to the festival bands, the winner of the local band search will be performing too. David Walker, Event Producer, says, “This is our third year for the band search, and the only city that we do this competition, Tampa has great entertainment! The response has been amazing!”

Spectators can partake in contests including Drink Like a Lady!, Tampa’s Best Beer Belly Contest, and the Daisy Dukes & Boots Contest. The Shrine of Swine event returns where you’ll see slow smoked whole hogs every hour. You'll also be able to browse the Brewerania exhibit, see a variety of hot sauces, shop for bbq accessories and walk the cigar tent.  

The festival started in Baltimore in 2006 and now is in 11 cities along the east coast. Walker adds, “We were doing food and wine events and microbreweries were beginning to take off and we were lucky enough to be at the forefront, and when you add the sophistication of a good bourbon as well as America's obsession with pork, you've got a winner!” 

Tickets

  • $39 Advance Regular Admission: includes a souvenir tasting glass, unlimited beer and bourbon samplings and live entertainment 
  • $25 Advance Designated Driver: admission to the event only, no VIP access 
  • $75 Advance VIP Bacon & Whole Hog Session, starting at noon. Exclusive tasting experience at the VIP area. Each guest will enjoy 10+ tasting stations featuring gourmet bacon from all over the county and local restaurants highlighting their favorite bacon dish. You also get two extra hours of fun (12-2 p.m.) before regular admission begins.

Parking

Organizers expect crowds to exceed 7,500 so parking will be at a premium for the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ event. In addition to the regular local transportation options, the event has partnered with Parking Panda.

For more details on the festival and to get your tickets in advance, click over to the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival by clicking the link, then hit the Tickets button. Look for our photogs in the crowd!!