Tampa Hosts Dessert Wars At Florida State Fairgrounds

Does the thought of a wonderful piece of cake get you excited? Are you first in line for the dessert cart? If so you can take care of that sweet tooth with the biggest celebration of desserts. Expect the best as vendors fight to become Dessert Champion. This is the family-friendly Dessert Wars.

Entertainment Hall plays home to the largest dessert festival in America. Cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, doughnuts and more will be ready for those taste buds.

Purchase tickets online in advance. Expect them to sell out. Tickets will NOT be available at the gate. Kids 2 and under don't need a ticket. (Display tickets from your phone.) General admission tickets grant admission at 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. VIP tickets already sold out. General Admission tickets cost $45 plus fees and taxes. Tickets online are for sale until September 22, if not sold out.

There's no charge for dessert samples once inside the event. With general admission comes 30 sample tickets which are exchanged for dessert samples. You'll also receive a "go-box".

Voting for the Peoples Choice Champion ends at 6 p.m. and the trophies will be awarded beginning at 6:30 p.m.

According to dessertwars.com, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The top three winners of People's Choice and Judges Championship automatically qualify to compete for the national championship. In 2023, the People's Choice winners were #1 Meli Greek Street Donuts, #2 The Cake Girl and #3 Moonlit Macaroons. The Judges Championship winners were #1 Meli Greek Street Donuts, #2 Angelina Bakes and #3 Victoria's Custom Desserts.

Whether you're feeding a hangover or treating the office, donuts are the perfect sweet snack. This Tampa donut shop was ranked #34 out of 100 on Yelp's Top 100 US Donut Shops and according to their reviews we can certainly see why.

Hole in One donut shop located at 14406 N Florida Ave in Tampa is one of the highest rating shops in the country, making Yelp's top 100 list. These donuts are baked fresh daily and any left overs are donated to a local church. Customers are even traveling up to 40 minutes out of their way just to get a taste.

Yelp's national list inspired us to make a ranking of our own. Here's our list of the best donut shops in the Tampa Bay area.

This adorable donut truck can be found parked at 411 N Florida Ave Tampa. Don't expect normal flavors like classic glazed or chocolate frosted, this donut company prides themselves on creating unique flavors and combinations that will make your heart sing. They are also known for our gorgeous presentations and exceptional catering services.

Craving Donuts is another favorite Tampa food truck! You can count on every donut being made fresh to order. Be sure to follow them on social media to see where they'll be headed next in the bay area.

This hidden gem is located at 2519 McMullen Booth Rd Ste 207 Clearwater. This is a great spot to get any custom catering orders fulfilled.

Founded in October 2020, this St. Pete gem is known for going over the top for flavors. Don't worry about the nutritional facts, it's food for the soul.

Located at 10468 Roosevelt Blvd N, St. Petersburg

About 10 minutes from Busch Gardens, this Tampa hot spot usually sells out of inventory before they close at 1 p.m.. The good news is that you can pre-order the day before via phone or text.

Can be found at 902 W Busch Blvd Tampa

We couldn't leave out the nationally ranked donut shop from our list. With customers flocking from all over the Tampa area, we totally understand the hype for fresh, classic donuts. Also any donuts that are left at the end of the day are donated to a local church, we love a restaurant that feeds the community!

It seems pretty obvious why Dough is our #1 choice. Located right next to Datz in Tampa, whatever deliciousness the bakers are feeling on a particular day is what you'll find at Dough.