Hold Royal Court with King Henry at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival. Prepare thy self for merrymaking and pleasure on the village streets amongst the merchants, peasants and jugglers. Encounter jousters, minstrels and maidens rollicking in 16th century affairs. Feast on roasted turkey drums and fancy craft maker's ancient wares. Over centuries of family fun awaits in the Kingdom.
Fire it up at the Ybor City Heritage & Cigar Festival. The unique festival celebrates the culture of the historic Tampa neighborhood and the cigar industry. Festival goers enjoy the world's finest cigars, on-site broadcast of the Cigar Dave Show, NCAA action on a big screen and a lot more.
Where's the beef? It's at the Florida State Fair, held annually at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. You'll be attending the official state fair where the Sunshine State shows off its agricultural might. For 11 days, there's a corral full of indoor and outdoor exhibits, rides, craft shows, musical acts and wild foods like chocolate-covered bacon to taste. You won't want to miss this experience.
Over 1,000 of the world's most talented artists vie for the 300 spots available at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. The free sidewalk festival turns the streets of downtown Tampa into an open-air art museum for you to discover colorful, original art, live entertainment, and lots of fun activities for the kids.
The whole family feels like fishermen at the Ruskin Seafood and Arts Festival of Tampa. Once you've dived into some tasty shrimp, cracked conch and alligator seafood, you'll want to reel the kids in for boatloads of fun, games and attractions. Reel family fun flows here.
If you're in the mood for blues by the bay, then you belong at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in St. Petersburg. The sweet strains of the blues genre aren't the only relaxing element at the festival; Vinoy Park provides the perfect tropical setting for this three day event. Meet your friends at the park and eat great BBQ, shop for unique arts and crafts, and listen to the biggest names in blues music like The Robert Cray Band.
Raise a glass at the Tampa Theatre WineFest to benefit the community's landmark Tampa Theatre. Locals meet and mingle at the movie-themed boutique wine tasting event to sample fine wines, taste local cuisine, enjoy the night's movie and bid on the silent auction. Past favorite themes were The Vineyard of Oz and The Grapefather.
Wazoo, named the "Top Ten Beer Festival in America" by USA Today, is held at the Tampa Lowery Park Zoo. A wild time is on tap as you guzzle over 120 tasty ice cold beers from around the world, and discover favorite local bands while eating mouth-watering food from the best Bay Area restaurants.