Tampa's installment of Dessert Wars—self-appointed as the "largest dessert festival in America"—heads to the Florida State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct.22. The event runs from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. and will feature a vast spread of cakes, doughnuts, ice cream and other sweet treats for guests to sample.
Tickets run between $45-$65, and must be purchasded online, because they will not be sold at the event. The price of general admission allows guests 30 dessert samples, while VIP folks can chow down on 50 different samples ,in addition to a to-go box filled with sweets of their choice.
Voting for the "People's Choice Champion" takes place at 6 p.m., while other awards will be appointed by judges.
Voting for the "People's Choice Champion" takes place at 6 p.m., while other awards will be appointed by judges.
A few Tampa Bay businesses that are participating in this weekend's competition include The Urban Whisk, Hampton Chocolate Factory, Halelife Bakery, Bahama Buck's, Allie Cakes and On the Go Gourmet—but the full list is at dessert-wars.com. A few competitors have established storefronts throughout the Bay area, but more than a handful are small cottage kitchen businesses, like last year's winner Shonnika Denise.
