Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food and Wine Festival Guide

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My husband and I just returned from a trip wherein we got to experience the Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food and Wine Festival for the first time! So, I thought I would do a little guide to help others plan their visit.

Williamsburg Food and Wine

Williamsburg Food and Wine

Every spring, the theme park hosts this annual festival. It claims to be the largest spring food and wine festival in the state of Virginia! I have no idea if that’s actually true, but this year it features 18 booths with 150 samples to try! Plus, they have special entertainment around the park! So, it certainly sounds impressive to me.

Similar to the Dollywood Seasonal Events, you can save money on food and beverages by purchasing a sampler card. However, since this one includes alcohol it’s a good bit more expensive. There’s the 10 item sampler for $70 and a 15 sampler for $85. You can use it over the course of multiple trips, but only on festival offerings. Upon seeing menus and prices, we opted to simply pay out of pocket for our items. We only purchased food and non-alcohol drinks, so it didn’t make sense to pay extra for the pass. Additionally, passholders receive a discount on food and beverages that made it even cheaper to pay out of pocket.

The Food and Drinks

I will start by saying that everything we tried at the festival was good. We purchased food from two booths: South Korea and Virginia. At the South Korea booth we got the Chicken Bulgogi, Korea BBQ Pork Ribs, and Dalgona Korean Coffee. I found the chicken to have a good flavor and was juicy. The pork rib was dry. The coffee was a disappointment. It tasted like a regular iced coffee to me. There was very little foam on top. It wasn’t bad, just not much different from a simple iced coffee.

At the Virginia booth, we got the Chesapeake Style Crab Cake Slider, Bacon & Cheddar Hushpuppies, and Strawberry Lemonades. I used the free festival item coupon passholders receive for each day of the festival for the crab cake slider. While it was a great use of the coupon, I would have been disappointed if we had spent $10 on it. It was tasty but really small.

The hushpuppies were really good. The bacon and cheddar gave them a unique taste. The addition of the honey butter elevated the dish. The hushpuppies were our favorite item of the festival. The strawberry lemonade was tart and refreshing. It was a moderately warm day, so it was a much appreciated cool beverage. Although, after several sips I tired of the bitterness. My husband ended up finishing mine as he really enjoyed it.

The Entertainment

The park also brings in some local artists to perform during the festival. It makes for a nice touch to walk around and enjoy some food while listening to music. I wish there were some big names as well or perhaps more entertainers spread throughout the park. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to enjoy the entertainment as they performed only a few times a day. I wish the park would bring in more entertainment options and spread the times out.

Is the Busch Gardens Williamsburg Food and Wine Festival worth it?

I think the food and drinks at the festival are good. I think it definitely adds something to your park day. The food made our visit to the park worth the trip over from Colonial Williamsburg. I appreciated the addition of non-alcoholic beverages to several of the menus as well.

Have you ever experienced this festival?

Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie Recipe

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Now that it’s officially spring, I thought I would share a family recipe! I’m sharing my grandma’s rhubarb pie recipe!

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

For those unfamiliar with rhubarb, it’s a tart vegetable that can be found in spring and early summer. That’s why I mentioned making it in my favorite spring activities post. It can be difficult to find the vegetable for sale. In fact, my grandmother used to grow her own to ensure she had some to make pies with every year! If it wasn’t for wildlife, I would probably grow my own too.

This particular recipe has an extra special meaning to me. After my grandma died, my dad went on and on about this special rhubarb pie. However, no one knew her recipe. So, my dad never got to have this pie after my grandma died. Then, one time I was visiting my grandfather a few years after my dad died and I happened to find a handwritten recipe for rhubarb pie stuffed in an old photo album! I asked my grandpa if it was grandma’s recipe and handwriting. He verified that it was, so it was nice to finally find the recipe after all of those years!

I never had the nerve to try making the pie until last summer. My family had a little get together that I was baking for. We just happened to go to a different Kroger in a different town and I spotted some rhubarb! So, I grabbed several stalks of it and decided to surprise everyone with the pie! I will admit, I was a little embarrassed by how watery this pie turned out. However, my aunt told me that grandma’s was watery too. I think if I ever make it again, I will try adding cornstarch to the mix. Thankfully, it did not make a soggy bottom!

Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Rhubarb Pie

An easy recipe for rhubarb pie.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 9'' Deep Dish Pie Shell (Pie Bottom)
  • 1 8 or 9" Regular Pie Shell or Crust Dough (Pie Top)
  • 4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • 1 Egg
  • 1.5 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Flour
  • 1-2 Teaspoons Cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Wash and chop the rhubarb into small pieces.
    4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • Allow the rhubarb to sit and dry for about an hour.
    4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix egg, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Add in rhubarb. Stir to coat the pieces. Pour into the large (deep dish) pie shell.
    1 9'' Deep Dish Pie Shell (Pie Bottom), 4 Cups Chopped Rhubarb, 1 Egg, 1.5 Cups Sugar, 2 Teaspoons Flour, 1-2 Teaspoons Cornstarch
  • Cover with the smaller pie shell or pie dough. Cut a couple of slits in the top to allow heat to escape.
    1 8 or 9" Regular Pie Shell or Crust Dough (Pie Top)
  • Bake until the crust is well browned. (~45 minutes?)
Keyword Easy, Pie

Tips

My grandmother’s original recipe wasn’t very detailed. No exact amount of rhubarb or baking time was given. So, you can use more or less rhubarb. Also, keep an eye on the pie for browning. I used a pie crust dough for my top as I felt like it was easier to position and mold than a pie shell. However, both are usable.

In the future, I will add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch to thicken up the liquid more. I will also allow the rhubarb to sit and dry for longer before putting it in the pie. Maybe an hour?

Let me know if you try this recipe!

My Favorite Spring Activities

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Happy first day of spring! I thought I would celebrate the new season with a list of my favorite spring activities!

Favorite Spring Activities

Favorite Spring Activities

I feel like I just shared my post with activities for winter, but today is the first day of spring! So, I thought I would share a new list of things that you can do to celebrate this season!

  • Decorate the house – I have a few spring and a few Easter specific decorations that I enjoy displaying during this time of the year.
  • Fun crafts – Over the past couple of years, I have gotten into painting some seasonal door hangers and knick-knacks to display. I painted some flowers this year and decorated a bunny cookie house I found at Target! You can see last year’s crafts in the Instagram post below!
  • Baking – I love to bake. I will be making a carrot cake here soon to celebrate my husband’s birthday (his request) and it feels downright springy! I also might try to make my grandma’s rhubarb pie again.
  • Make/color eggs – I’m too old to color eggs. However, I used to enjoy it as a kid. Now, I like to make peanut butter/chocolate and coconut/dark chocolate eggs to eat with family and friends!
  • Spring clean – I can’t stand a cluttered mess. Spring is the perfect time to get rid of stuff you don’t use and to get organized. I also don’t mind doing a little cleaning around the house.
  • Embrace pastels – I love changing up my clothing to match the holidays and seasons. So, it’s nice to begin thinking about wearing lighter clothes and brighter colors.
  • Travel – You have to research school/college calendars and avoid spring breaks to travel during this season. However, a late spring/early Summer trip after Easter and before Memorial Day is usually a good idea.

Spring Can Be Fun

I think spring is pretty with the pastels and flowers. However, you have to dodge the spring break crowds and deal with pollen. So, what are your favorite spring activities?

You can view my favorite summer, fall, and winter activities here.

Dollywood Seasonal Events Guide

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Since Dollywood is opening for the 2024 season tomorrow (March 8th), I thought I would do a nice Dollywood Seasonal Events Guide. This post will highlight the various limited time festivals happening at the park this year. I will also link to separate, more in-depth posts on what to expect during each season of the year!

Dollywood Seasonal Events

Dollywood Seasonal Events

Over the past several years, the park has really invested in their seasonal festivals. In fact, in 2024 there’s only a few days the park is open without a festival going on. Each of these experiences is unique and fun. However, if you are wanting to see a certain festival then it’s important to plan your trip around the dates of the event and the park operating calendar.

I Will Always Love You Music Festival

The I Will Always Love You Music Festival was new for 2023. However, it’s slated to return in 2024, beginning on Saturday March 9th and going until April 14th! This is the only festival I haven’t experienced at Dollywood. It seems to focus mainly on the music and show productions around the park. They also seem to fully embrace the life and style of Dolly Parton. It looks like a neat addition to the park.

Flower & Food Festival

The Flower and Food Festival is the one most people think of when they consider a spring break trip to the park. I enjoyed my one visit to the park for this event and highlighted it in my Spring at Dollywood post. I loved looking at all of the Mosaicultures around the park. Plus, the food was pretty good! This year, the event kicks-off on April 19th and goes until June 9th.

Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration

My post Summer at Dollywood 2022 was my return to blogging. So, you know it’s must be something good to inspire me to start this blog back up. My husband and I really enjoyed trying the different foods here and the delightful drone show! They also have lots of bright decor around the park. The Summer Celebration is happening from June 15 to August 11th this year.

Harvest Festival

I think fall at Dollywood is one of my favorite times to visit! I love seeing all of the autumnal decor in the daytime and then seeing the park light up for the Great Pumpkin LumiNights. DW embraces the beauty of fall in the Smoky Mountains with their Harvest Festival. It’s not about Halloween here, but rather simple and beautiful fall! I’ve been lucky enough to attend this one several times! In 2024, it will be taking place from September 9 to October 28th!

Smoky Mountain Christmas

Last but certainly not least it’s Christmas at Dollywood! I’ve visited this one a few times as well. Pro tip: check the weather forecast if you are visiting this one as it could be really cold or a little warm, you never really know what to expect. This festival features lots of gorgeous decor and amazing lights! Smoky Mountain Christmas is a great time for all! It will be happening from November 1 to January 5, 2025!

2024 Dollywood Seasonal Events

Well, there you have the full list of special limited time events happening at Dollywood in 2024. Each festival is included with the price of admission. Plus, each event highlights the beauty of the location during that time of the year or embraces the public love for Dolly. So, which of these events have you attended or have you been eyeing?

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Tips

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Last year, I took a solo trip across the country to visit the great state of California. While there, I had the pleasure of experiencing Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival! It was towards the end of the event last year, so I didn’t write a post. However, this year’s event kicks-off in just a few days. So, I thought I would do a little guide with tips for anyone out there planning a trip!

Knott's Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival

For those who don’t know, Knott’s Berry Farm is a theme park in California. In fact, it’s just minutes away from Disneyland! I visited Knott’s while staying at the Sheraton Park Hotel, however I considered staying at their hotel. The fact it was undergoing refurbishment and didn’t have a working restaurant is the only reason I didn’t stay there on that trip. However, if I go back I’d like to stay there and explore that area a little more.

For those interested, you can read the full boysenberry history on the theme park’s blog. I recommend reading it if you plan on visiting. Suffice it to say: this hybrid berry is what started Knott’s Berry Farm and why the boysenberry festival is an annual tradition to this day!

2024 Festival

Something to keep in mind whenever visiting non-Universal/Disney theme parks is that other parks aren’t always open everyday or have their festivals going on every single day. That being said, the Boysenberry Festival will be taking place everyday between March 8 and April 7 and then weekends only until April 28. So, if you want to experience the festival, there’s a small window to catch it.

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival Tips

  • Visit early – I visited on the last weekend of the festival last year. I pre-purchased a shirt and pin for the festival online. However, upon entering the park I discovered that they had sold out of all but a few festival shirts. So, I wasn’t able to get said shirt and received a refund. If specialty merch is important to you, I encourage you to visit early in the festival for the best selection.
  • Arrive early – I went on a Friday in May (they extended the festival last year) and was shocked by the crowds! Apparently, it’s a massively popular end of the year field trip for lots of California schools. I rope dropped the park and still encountered long lines for everything. My advice is to rope drop one important ride and maybe go on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Also, pay for the skip the line offering if rides are important. Also, grab food early as lines got long.
  • Check out the entertainment schedule – Granted, I attended a day that was considered part of the extension. However, I was disappointed to learn after planning my trip that Knott’s didn’t have some of the regular festival entertainment on the day I attended as it was seemingly reserved for the weekends. I’ve heard good things about the shows at this park, but I was unable to experience them for myself.
  • Make a plan – This festival is known for fun food offerings. So, I highly recommend examining the menus and watching YouTube videos for food reviews to make your selections before you visit the park.
  • Buy the Festival Tasting Card – I purchased the Boysenberry Festival Bundle last year, which included admission to the park as well as 3 food items from the festival. That made for a fun lunch and seemed like a good value to me. The regular 6 Festival Tasting Card seems like a great value as well.
  • Download the app – The official app has a map along with show times.

Why I would go back

As you might have noticed, I encountered some issues when I visited last year. However, the food was really good. In fact, thanks to this trip I learned that I loved a new berry. So, now I get excited whenever I stumble upon something with boysenberries in it and buy it. Ha! I wouldn’t mind going back on a weekday in early March or April to get the full experience. Have you ever experienced the Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival?