The Bands, Brew & BBQ Festival returns this year at SeaWorld Orlando and promises to be a great time. Enjoy four weekends of hot music, cold craft beer and delicious food. Not only will some superstars be performing each Saturday and Sunday, a secondary stage will showcase many local bands and a DJ calling out some great tunes and line dancing.
This weekend kicks off with the mega country superstar Toby Keith with a performance on March 7 and southern rocker Lynyrd Skynyrd on Sunday, March 8. These concerts begin at 4:00 p.m., however, you’ll want to get there early. Event festivities begin as early as 11:30 a.m. This weekend will feature a special performance by the USO Show Troupe. This military quartet should not be missed! The Orlando theme park opens its gates at 9:00 a.m. this weekend, so plan for an entire day.
USO Central Florida is partnering with SeaWorld this year. The Bands, Brew & BBQ Festival will focus on saluting America’s Heroes offering discounts for active and retired military personnel. ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: If you are an enlisted military or veteran, you can receive 50% off a 2015 Fun Card. This discounted theme park ticket allows unlimited admission to SeaWorld all year for the same price as a single-day ticket. To get this deal, go to www.WavesOfHonor.com.
“We’re thrilled to partner with SeaWorld, and we appreciate their longstanding dedication to honoring the troops and retirees. Working together during Bands, Brew & BBQ, we can make a difference in the spirits of many service members and their families.”
– Roland Emerson, Executive Director, USO Central Florida
The following weekend of March 14 & 15, enjoy music from Rodney Atkins and R&B sensation Kool & The Gang. Other bands will be announced in the coming weeks. One of the fastest ways hear about the artists for the upcoming weekends of March 21-22 and March 28-29 is to follow SeaWorld on Facebook.
The BBQ portion of the festivities consists of award-winning food selections from restaurants such as Bodacious BBQ, Sonny’s BBQ and SeaWorld’s very own Sweet & Smokin’ BBQ. While the music concert is included with theme park admission, the food is not. You can purchase samples, or you may want to invest in the VIP experience. This special ticket starts at just $19 for reserved floor seats or $39 for reserved front row seats to the concert with $10 in-park spending for food.
The Brew portion of the special event can be enjoyed best by purchasing a Craft Brew Sampler ticket. This costs $25 and lets you sample 10 ice-cold craft beers. There will be around 30 beers to choose from!
If you already have plans to attend SeaWorld on a weekend in March, you’ll enjoy having the extra activities to participate in. ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: If you have small children who do not do so well with concert crowds, be sure to check out the patriotic-theme USO Garden. It is away from the main concert area, yet offers large flat screen televisions to watch it on. Refreshments are provided and there are plenty of kids activities. Take your photo with some of the animals; have your child create a masterpiece at a coloring station; play interactive games. You can also learn more about the USO and its historic contribution.
Now is a great time to purchase a Fun Card. It includes one visit to Aquatica and an entire year of visits to SeaWorld Orlando. It costs $95/adult or $90/child. It costs $95/adult or $90/child. Purchase them before ticket prices go up, as Disney’s tickets recently have. Honor America’s Heroes and get your Bands, Brew & BBQ fix for the year!
