Thanks to fabulous weather and tons of visitors, the Tampa Bay area is home to a large variety of festivals during the winter.
While the rest of the country shivers and freezes, Floridians and visitors to the Sunshine State have the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of entertaining events.
Of course, you can also throw party of your own using the huge amount of choices available for party rentals at Air Fun Games. They include thrill rides, bounce houses, carnival games and obstacle courses, just to name a few.
Tampa Bay Fairs & Festivals
But if you’re heading out, considering some of these following big events.
Florida State Fair
Feb. 9-20
The Florida State Fair is one of the biggest events not just of the winter, but of the year. There is a reason it’s been around since 1904. The fair features rides, games and all the fun of a midway. It also has livestock competitions, equestrian events, tons of sellers of handcrafted art and trinkets, excellent food and musical acts. This year, the musical acts include the Country Gold shows with Leroy Van Dyke, Johnny Lee, Barbara Fairchild, David Frizzell, Steve and Rudy Gatlin and Bobby Bare.
Florida Strawberry Festival
March 2 -12
Much like the state fair, the Florida Strawberry Festival offers a lot of the charm of a midway. However, the food stands out, as much of it involves strawberries used just about every way you can imagine. And it’s all good. The music lineup is also stellar, with Willie Nelson & Family, The Blues Brothers, The Bellamy Brothers and many more.
Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
March 4-5
Like events with a little more art to them? The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, held annually in downtown Tampa, has turned into one of the biggest art shows in the country. Held in the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the event features artists working in a variety of mediums, including ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting and photography. Live music includes acts Serotonic, Daniel B. Marshall, Dropin Pickup, Paula Stevens Watkins, Acme Jazz Garage and Patchouli.
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens in Tampa has two special festival events this winter.
The Real Music series, running from January through March, features different musical acts each weekend from different eras of music. They range from the The Platters and Herman’s Hermits to Micky Dolenz and Lee Greenwood.
The Food and Wine Festival runs from March through April. It features culinary delights from restaurants across the Tampa Bay area, as well as live music. Acts include Goo Goo Dolls, Kool & the Gang and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
These are just some of the fun festivals planned for the Tampa Bay area this winter. Get out enjoy, and if you decide to have your own event, don’t forget to check out the many party rental options at AirFun Games.
