Hey friends! I hope you are having a fantastic summer so far. I know it’s almost time for us to send the kids back to school, but there is still summer time fun to be had. Drum roll please…… It’s almost time for Summer of Rum Fest 2015 on National Rum Day, August 15th! Last year I attended my first Summer of Rum Fest and it was a blast. I held the Rum Awards on my blog and crowned my favorite rums of the day. I’m looking forward to seeing what new rum inspired concoctions make their appearance at this year’s festival.
This year I’m extra excited because I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away to my readers! So here’s what you can expect at the 3rd annual Summer of Rum Fest 2015 this year:
- Cuban Club Main Street – Consisting of the Pollo Tropical Main Stage & Rum Shacks
- Appleton Tiki Cantina – Tiki culture invades the cantina with tiki drinks, décor, & entertainment
- Captain Morgan Pirate’s Cove – Pirate’s HQ with pirate movie playing all day in the theater and pirate themed rum drinks from Captain Morgan
- Island Rum Tasting Party – Taste 50+ rums from around the world!
- Food Alley – Food truck rally serving island inspired foods.
In addition to the unique “Rum Zones” described above, numerous rum brands will be creating one of a kind “Rum Shacks” where featured rum drinks will be served. Participating brands include Kraken Rum, Naked Turtle, Shellback, Captain Morgan, Cruzan, and more!
New this year is the inclusion of locally produced rums of Twisted Sun Rum (Tampa) and St. Pete Distillery’s “Old St. Pete” brand.
Last year there was non stop entertainment throughout the event well into the night. This year you can expect more live entertainment on the Pollo Tropical Main Stage, featuring headliner The Hip Abduction, UNRB, Control This!, and more bands playing Reggae, Ska, Calypso, Soca, Jimmy Buffet, and other island inspired musical acts.
Where: Cuban Club in Ybor City
When: August 15th, 2015 from 12pm to 11pm
Tips for getting the most out of Summer of Rum:
1. Eat something before you come. The worst thing you can do on a hot summer day is start drinking on an empty stomach.
2. Dress comfortably and wear shoes that you can tolerate for a long time. There are stairs in the Cuban club so you will want to be cute but with comfort in mind too.
3. Hit the Island Rum Tasting Party early! It gets hectic in there and there are so many rums to try. Also many of the displays give away glasses and other cool swag and they will run out later on.
4. Pace yourself. Nobody wants to be “that girl/or guy” who couldn’t hold their liquor and blacked out by 2pm. It’s not cute and you won’t even remember all of the fun.
5. If you get overheated go into the Pirate cove to get out of the heat and regroup. It’s air conditioned and it won’t be too crowded for you to get a seat.
6. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day as many of the events are outside.
7. Bring cash for your drinks and to tip your mixologist. Most of the food trucks take a card but bring cash just in case.
And now for the giveaway! I will be selecting 2 lucky winners to each receive a pair of general admission tickets to Summer of Rum Fest. I hope to see you there! Good luck! If you aren’t one of the lucky winners you can purchase your tickets from www.summerofrumfest.com. General admission tickets are just $17 and VIP tickets are $80.
Lauren G. , Outdoorsy Diva™
“Adventure is a lifestyle.”
8 Comments
Nicole
August 9, 2015 at 11:18 pmBacardi 151 and diet coke!
Alysia Williams
August 10, 2015 at 8:47 amWray and Nephew brand rum is my favorite. Appleton is next in line. I’m a Caribbean gal who loves Caribbean rum.
Lauren
August 10, 2015 at 10:47 amI’ll cheers to that.
Nina A.
August 10, 2015 at 10:13 amA classic Mojito is always a good time! If I’m feeling extra frisky, then a Mango Mojito really gets the party started!
Lauren
August 10, 2015 at 10:47 amI’m a mojito girl too! Last year there was a mojito bar. I’m hoping it makes a return this year.
April Hammond
August 25, 2016 at 4:02 pmI will be going to my first summer of rum fest this year, thanks for the great tips!
Lauren
August 25, 2016 at 4:29 pmFantastic! I hope you have a great time.
Celebrate Labor Day Weekend at the Summer of Rum Festival + Giveaway! -
August 25, 2016 at 4:53 pm[…] The Outdoorsy Diva, has some great tips for the Summer of Rum Festival! Check out her article here! Denise has a review of last years event you can check out as well here. (adsbygoogle = […]