It’s a good year to be celebrating a 40th birthday, as Busch Gardens is offering free tickets this weekend to anyone born in 1975 to celebrate the park’s birthday.
Busch Gardens opens for 2015 on Friday — its 40th season — prompting the promotional deal, which runs through Sunday. It is the preamble to a year of events and celebrations honoring its birthday, according to a news release from the park.
Though gates will open Friday, guests will have to wait another month to ride the park’s newest roller coaster, Tempesto. Work is finishing on the ride, situated in Festa Italia, that blasts riders back and forth at highway speeds before subjecting them to a series of loops and inversions.
The high-speed jaunt is supposed to simulate the exploits of an Italian daredevil, creating an experience Park President Carl Lum described in a news release as “exhilarating.” The new coaster is scheduled to open April 25.
Opening day will bring a new performance in Das Festhaus. Roll Out the Barrel, which is set to debut Friday, will send a smattering of aerial acrobats, singers, musicians, dancers and actors to the stage as residents of a fictional German town celebrating its 40th annual beer brewing festival.
“In the same way that Celtic Fyre [another show at the park] celebrates beloved Irish traditions, Roll Out the Barrel celebrates German traditions that have been part of the Busch Gardens experience for four decades,” Scott Gasparich, the vice president of Entertainment for Busch Gardens, said in a February news release announcing the new show.
Several other events dot the spring and summer months, too.
The third annual Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival starts May 22. During the event, which runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 28, themed kiosks are set up throughout the park to offer up individual-sized tasting portions of food.
Two new menus are planned for the year: a New Orleans French Quarter-themed romp through Cajun- and Creole-inspired fare and a smattering of offerings from Eastern Asia including Vietnamese bread, Chinese dumplings and Thai tea.
“With the addition of The French Quarter and Eastern Asia kiosks, guests can sample culinary traditions spanning fourteen geographic regions representing Europe, the Americas and Asia,” Busch Gardens Executive Chef Justin Watson said in a February news release. “We are pleased to offer these tastes of the world to our guests during this year’s Food and Wine Festival.”
Along with seasonal offerings like Howl-O-Scream and Christmas Town, the park is also planning to host another season of Star Spangled Nights — red, white and blue fireworks will paint the sky on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from July 3 through Sept. 6.
The light display will be accompanied by classic American foods and décor. Other events scheduled for the year include a new Bier Fest in the fall and an appearance by famous zookeeper Jack Hanna on April 11 and 12.
Along with the deal for people who turn 40 in 2015, the park is also offering a Two-Park Fund Card for $75 through March 31. That card, which typically sells for $100, allows unlimited admission to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA through Sept. 7.
Anyone wishing to take advantage of the promotion for people turning 40 in 2015 must inquire at the ticket window at the front of the park and be prepared to show valid photo ID that includes year of birth.
The park is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the rest of the month. During the summer months, the hours are extended as late as 10 p.m. on some nights. For a full breakdown of the park’s hours, visit its website.
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