International Food and Arts Festival to bring flavor to Tampa Riverwalk this weekend

International Food and Arts Festival to bring flavor to Tampa Riverwalk this weekend

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)- The Tampa Riverwalk International Food and Arts Festival will bring flavors from all around the world to Waterworks Park this Saturday and Sunday.

According to event organizers, the festival has been around since 2015 to give local craftspeople, artists and food vendors a platform to showcase their talents.

Alexis King is one of the several artists attending and said she will be displaying several acrylic paintings and drawings this weekend.

King’s obsession with art began about seven years ago. She said something clicked in her head when she was helping her daughters with princess drawing tutorials.

Heirloom Jams is a locally owned business bringing jars of their boozy gourmet jams to the festival. Co-Owners Danny and Cheryl Daniel started their jam company about two years ago and now have around 40 different flavors

For the first time since the pandemic began, JourneyMarkers Owner Jay Keeler will be showcasing his personalized mile markers and signs that people can buy.

Keeler’s business is based in St. Pete and said he has been excited to get back to participating in festivals doing what he loves.

Event organizers told 8 On Your Side that several food trucks and vendors will be at the International Food and Arts Festival.

This includes DiMisa Gourmet & The Toffee Tradition that serve authentic Italian cuisine.

“Over about one hundred years ago, our grandparents and great grandparents came over from Sicily. they brought the recipes and shared them with us and we’ve been able to recreate them and bring it to the community,” Jennifer DiMisa-Rhoades said.

The International Food and Arts festival is being sponsored by Sprouts, who just opened a new location in Tampa Heights on Oct. 27.

“Sprouts is all about supporting local. A lot of our produce comes from local farmers. We just want to give back to the community and what better way to do it than with a local festival,” Sprouts Service Manager Sam Garcia said.

The International Food and Arts Festival will be held at Waterworks Park on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.