Daily high temperatures beginning to slip out of the mid-90s means the local fall festival season is just about here, and among the events celebrating the region’s tastes and cultures is the Tampa Bay Coffee & Art Festival in Brandon.
The festival bills itself as “The first craft coffee festival of its kind in the South East,” according to its website, and was first held in 2015. It had become an annual event until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted staging large public events. There was also no festival in 2021, but event coordinator Ryan Kole said it is time to get out in the autumn air and enjoy a nice cup of coffee while considering the works of emerging artists.
“The Tampa Bay Coffee & Art Festival is designed and tailored to help introduce people to the wonderful coffee and art communities found throughout Florida,” he wrote in an email. “Our desire is for attendees to walk away from the festival feeling informed, inspired and empowered to continue pursuing their own craft and art.”
Kole adds that the festival has grown because of public interest and reflects the appreciation that people have for art and coffee.
“2015 was the first year we held the Tampa Bay Coffee & Art Festival. We originally wanted to have a small, fun get-together to enjoy some coffee from a local roaster and have a couple artists come out. After we posted about the event on Facebook, we had such a large, positive response that we knew we needed to continue improving and building the event.”
Admission to the festival allows visitors to sample coffee from regional roasters and browse the works of local artists, craft creators and vendors.
The Tampa Bay Coffee & Art Festival will be open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 at 1310 John Moore Rd. in Brandon, just south of East Lumsden Road.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $15 for a VIP ticket. They can be purchased online at www.tampabaycoffeeandartfestival.com, where you can also view a gallery of works by local and international artists.
