Epcot - International Festivals
Updated: Oct 1
***Updates 10-1-24
Epcot hosts a number of different festivals throughout the year. These festivals have grown so much that there are very few times during the year when there is not a festival going at Epcot, and even then Epcot is in the process of breaking down one festival and setting up the other. Below are the dates for the 2024 Festivals though Flower and Garden. We will update with the rest of the 2024 dates as soon as Disney releases them.
Epcot Festival Calendar 2024
Epcot International Festival of the Arts: January 12 - February 19, 2024
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival: February 28 - May 27, 2024
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: August 29 - November 23, 2024
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays: November 29 - December 30, 2024
Each of the festivals has a number of common elements, from food booths and exclusive merchandise to concerts at the American Gardens Theatre, but each brings the park to life in a different way.
Some general information that applies to each of the festivals:
Festival Passports
At each of the festivals there is a physical Festival Passport you can pick up once you enter Epcot or at most of the merchandise locations around the park. The passport includes food booths and their offerings and some additional information on different festival offerings. This is a great little snapshot guide to the festival.
Digital Festival guide in My Disney Experience app - In your MDE app, if you scroll down on the home page, you will eventually come to a listing for the current festival, then click Learn More to well…learn more.
Food Booths
Concert Series
Epcot International Festival of the Arts
Festival of the Arts - From late January through February you can experience the Festival of the Arts. This festival is the newest addition to the festivals at Epcot and has quickly become a fan favorite. Read our more detailed post here.
What to eat: Festival food booths around the park have offerings that are each a little masterpiece in and of themselves.
What to see:
Along the main walkway to the World Showcase (on non-rainy days) there is lots of really impressive sidewalk chalk art and artists actively drawing.
Throughout the park are hidden (sort of) character art that is an adorable addition and fun thing to look out for while walking around.
At the America Gardens Theatre during the day there are visiting artists who will create fabulous works of art right before your eyes.
What to do:
Animation Academy - Take a class with a Disney animation artist and learn how to draw a Disney character.
Figment’s Masterpiece scavenger hunt - Search for Figment featured in historical works of art around the World Showcase. When you finish you get a little prize. This typically costs a little under $10 to participate in.
There are some cute photo booths and some additional special photo opportunities around the park.
Contribute to a paint by numbers mural, you’ll stand in line to receive a little paint cup, paint brush, and coordinated number to paint, then you will go paint your square. Over time the mural is collectively filled in by the many guests who come by. This is a cute little fun and free activity.
Chalk characters have been added to locations all around the park
What to buy:
All around the park there is artwork set up in stalls for sale. These are unique pieces (and generally cheaper print options) created by Disney and invited artists. For the most part they are all Disney themed, though they range from the parks to animated movies to Star Wars and beyond, there is some non Disney art scattered in places.
Each festival has unique merchandise on sale each year to look out for. The Festival of the Arts often features Figment playing around with paints and such.
Concert at the America Gardens Theatre: Disney on Broadway Concert Series. Broadway artists perform medleys of Disney Broadway hits!
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Held from early March through late July, Epcot comes alive with all sorts of flowers and plants at the Flower and Garden Festival. Read our more detailed post here.
What to eat: Close to 20 festival food booths around the park have offerings that are typically between $5 - $10. Check out the fun dessert options!
What to see:
All around the park are topiaries grown and manicured to look like many different Disney characters.
Extra extravagant gardens around the park
What to do:
Gardening classes
Spikes Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt is roughly $10. Search the gardens through the park for this fun cartoon bee and earn a special prize.
Egg-stravaganze Scavenger Hunt (coincides with Easter)
Butterfly Landing
Garden Graze - food stroll purchase indicated items, get a stamp, get a special treat.
Specially themed garden play area for littles
What to buy:
Each festival has unique merchandise on sale each year to look out for. The Flower and Garden Festival has in the past featured Figment gardening, Minnie surrounded by flowers, and Orange Bird.
Concert at the America Gardens Theatre: Garden Rocks Concert Series featuring fun rock acts such as Kool and the Gang, Smash Mouth, and STARSHIP
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
From late August through November you can eat and drink your way around the World Showcase in possibly the most popular festival held at Epcot! Read our more detailed post about this festival here, and our review of the festival on a rainy Sunday here.
What to eat: For this festival the food itself is the star, along with some excellent drink pairings. The roughly 30 food booths available at this festival mean you could easily spend an entire afternoon sampling the food offerings and still not have covered half of it.
What to see: Food is the star of the festival!
What to do:
Confirmed for 2023
Remy's Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt - Search through the park for Remy and receive a prize upon completion. Cost is roughly $10
Pluto's Pumpkin Pursuits - Search through the park for Pluto in this Halloween themed scavenger hunt. Cost is roughly $10.
Other activities offered in the past have included:
Cheese Tasting
Culinary Classes
We will update this post when we hear more!
What to buy:
Like the other festivals, Food and Wine has unique merchandise on sale each year to look out for. The Food and Wine Festival has lately featured either Remy or Belle and her friends, but Figment generally makes an appearance too.
Concert at the America Gardens Theatre: Eat to the Beat Concert where popular bands from the 80s, 90s, and 00s take to the stage to play some of their greatest hits.
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
Festival of the Holidays - Of all the Epcot International Festivals, the International Festival of the Holidays is by far the most magical. Celebrates Holidays at the different countries around the World Showcase, featuring yummy Holiday food and decorations! The entertainment alone, from the story tellers from the different world regions to the musical groups performing around the World Showcase, is a reason to take a trip during the holiday season. The culmination of it all is the Candlelight Processional, a presentaion of the Christmas story told through story and music. You can read our more detailed Festival of the Holidays post here.
What to eat: The pop-up holiday kitches at each country offer tradional food and sweets from different regions around the World Showcase. It is impossible to dive into all the fun holiday samplings in one trip, but we love trying!
What to see: Christmas time is one of the most magical times to spend at Disney, and the decorations, yummy treats, and entertainment at the International Festival of the Holidays are not to be missed. During the Festival for the Holidays the World Showcase is transformed into a holiday wonderland featuring decorations from different cultures around the world.
What to do:
In each country a storyteller shares the holiday traditions of that region and each and every one of them is a delight Different incarnations of Santa Claus from cultures around the world are some of the story tellers.
Scavenger hunts - For the Festival of the Holidays Olaf can be found all over the World Showcase participating in different holiday traditions.
Who doesn’t want an excuse to eat Christmas cookies? The festival features a cookie stroll where after purchasing a $10 card, participates go to various booths to try out fabulous holiday dessert items (for an additional fee) and get a prize at the end.
What to buy:
Unique Festival of the Holidays limited edition merchandise and decorations.
In the manner of the Christmas Markets around Europe, many countries have booths with decorations that are typically sold in their country.
Concert at the America Gardens Theatre: Candlelight Processional, a 40 minute performance featuring a 50 piece orchestra and choir led by a celebrity narrator. Past narrators have included Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Gad, and Angela Bassett. Again, this is not to be missed!
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