4 Family-Friendly Tampa Food Festivals Happening This Month

With the Florida Strawberry Festival ending in March, we're looking for the next best family-friendly food festival in Tampa. We're in luck! Multiple Tampa food festivals are happening this month. These events are family-friendly so grab the kids and taste some of Tampa Bay's best dishes!

On top of these family-friendly events, Busch Gardens is hosting its Food & Wine Festival every weekend until May 19. The inaugural five-day Tampa Bay Wine and Food Fest is happening all over Downtown Tampa from April 9-13. Click here for more info.

There's always something happening at Keel Farms. From trivia to U-Pick weekends, and now the annual Keel Farms Blueberry Festival. This event takes place every Saturday & Sunday for the month of April. There will be tons of blueberry-themed snacks, a petting zoo, camel rides, more unique vendors, and more! The event has no cover but you will have to pay $10 for parking. Click here for more info.

The 2nd Annual Tampa Bay Empanada Festival is taking place on April 6th at Perry Harvey Sr. Park in downtown Tampa. There will be dozens of local vendors with over 30 different types of empanadas, craft beer and cocktails, live music, and games for the whole family! Tickets start at only $5 and go up to $7 on the event day. Click here for more info.

Across the bridge in St. Pete is the 7th annual French Fry Festival taking place at 480 Bayshore Dr SE, St. Petersburg. This is a totally free event welcomed to all families and pets! We have all the vendor info and more here!

Also happening on the weekend of April 6-7 is the Florida Penguin's International Food Fest 3.0. Head down to the Tampa Premium Outlets for a seriously tasty event featuring over 50 food trucks. Tickets are only $5 and kids get in for FREE!

We all know how much America loves meat. If you aren't grilling burgers out back every weekend, what're you doing?  Here are The 5 Best Butcher Shops In Tampa Bay that are perfect for your next grill-out.

With beef prices up 30% higher than they were back in 2020. Pork chop prices are 27% higher than they were in 2020. And, chicken prices are 45% up from what they were before 2020. It is easy to understand why people are looking to big box stores like Walmart and Target over their local butcher. But, are you sacrificing quality for price? 

I'll be honest Laura's lean beef at Target is a solid budget option that is clean, tastes good, and comes in at a good price per pound, but the quality still isn't there. Sure, if you're looking to save on meat every week, big box stores are a solid option, but if you're looking to cook a couple of quality steaks to fuel your next grillout, Butchers are the way to go. Their quality is unmatched and you know you're getting a high-quality cut from a local source, every time.

Butcher Shops have many advantages over the common supermarket beef options. The first and most important is meat freshness. With butcher shops sourcing from local suppliers, you’ll be getting a fresher product every time.

Another reason to choose a local butcher shop is for their expertise and available cuts. They have spent years learning their craft to deliver the best product for your specific needs. Butchers tend to have a lot more options with their cuts and help you find the proper way to prepare your meat for the best results.

Local butchers live within your community. When you visit and buy locally, you’re not only sporting the people in your community but also the farmers, fishermen, and sources throughout the state. These butchers join in on local initiatives like sports teams and events to help keep the money within the community.

Apollo Meats has no shortage of meat options. From the classics like beef, pork, and lamb, to exotics like goat, gator meat, seafood and much more, Apollo Meats brings the full-service meat market with an old-fashioned atmosphere. They offer kabobs, seasoned baby back ribs, prime rib roast,  buffalo, double smoked bacon, natural casing franks, Boars head lunch meats, Alaskan crab legs, and more. Apollo Meats is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM - 6 PM and Saturday from 9 AM  - 5 PM.

The Boozy Pig has 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google with 310 Google reviews. They are a butcher shop and kitchen with charcuterie and various types of meat sourced directly from farmers, ranchers, and fishermen in Florida.  They are open Wednesday - Friday from 11 AM - 6 PM. Saturday from 9 AM - 6 PM and Sunday 9 AM - 3 PM.

The Heights Meat Market has 4 locations across the Tampa Bay area.  They carry a wide range of meats from Wagyu to Kangaroo. Their website says, "Since 2018, we have set the standard for providing superior quality meats and customer service to our local neighborhoods. From the farm to your table, our commitment to taste is true."

John's Butcher Shop has a 4.8 rating on Google with 134 total reviews. They do not have a website or an official social media page, but rest assured they are open for business. One Google reviewer recently said, "I am a Pennsylvania farm boy and transplant and I know quality meat. My new go-to place for great personal service and meat is John’s. Perfect quality cut custom meats. Freshness you can see and smell way above big box stores like Publix or Winn-Dixie. I can highly recommend John’s Butcher Shop." John's is located a 102 1st Ave SW in Lutz. You can give them a call for more information at 813-909-9746.

Quality Meat Market is another hot option coming in at 308 total Google reviews with a 4.7 average star rating. Located right near the Seminole Hard Rock, QMM has over 50 year of experience bringing fresh meats to the people of Tampa Bay. They offer family deals, bargain buys, and even meats for your pets.  They are open Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM - 6 PM and Saturday from 9 AM - 5:30 PM.