Your Complete Guide to Epcot Festivals
Chances are, if you have visited Disney’s EPCOT park recently, there was a festival going on (if not, congrats, you experienced Diet EPCOT, which is a rare occurrence these days). This blog will guide you to the four festivals EPCOT hosts each year and what you can expect at each of them.
Please note that the dates of these festivals change yearly, so this blog will only give you a rough idea of when each festival occurs. Look out for announcements from Disney for the exact dates of the festivals each year.
Festival of the Arts
Mid-January to mid-February/end of February
This festival is dedicated to art, so in addition to the food booths located throughout the park, you will find art (both Disney and non-Disney) located throughout the park. This is a great time to pick up unique Disney art and get it signed by the artist!
Since this festival is themed around art, the food is more about presentation and may be served in unique ways. This festival also does not have as many food booths as the Flower and Garden or Food and Wine festivals.
This festival is home to the Disney Broadway Concert series at the America Pavilion. Every night, performers from Disney Broadway shows come and perform classics right from the shows themselves.
Merchandise for this festival usually features my favorite purple dragon, Figment, and takes on the theme of art.
One of my favorite things to do at this festival is the paint by numbers. They have a giant mural set up, and you can paint so many squares each day and get a bookmark to take home of the art! It is so cool to see the mural progress throughout the day!
I may be partial since Figment is my favorite, but this may be my favorite EPCOT festival.
Flower and Garden Festival
March to the end of June/early July
This festival is centered around, you guessed it, flowers. EPCOT comes to life with stunning topiaries, butterfly gardens, and more!
The food offerings are more natural with menu items like Violet Lemonade or the Pollinator Flatbread. This festival is one of the only ones with rotating booths, so grab your favorites before they switch out to something more in season!
This festival is home to the Garden Rocks concert series at the America pavilion and features old and new classics like Smash Mouth, Berlin, Switchfoot, Flock of Seagulls, and more! Arrive early or get a dining package if there is an artist you really want to see, as seats may fill up fast!
This festival’s merchandise features many flowers, gardening motifs, and Spike the Bee!
Food and Wine Festival
July to early November
This is probably the festival you heard of at EPCOT, as I think it is everyone’s favorite. This festival focuses on cuisine and drinks from around the world and has the most booth offerings at close to 40 booths. My fiancé and I have a favorite dish - the mushroom steak from Canada. We love it so much that it is a part of our menu at our Disney Fairytale Wedding.
This festival also hosts a similar concert series as Flower and Garden, and similar artists may appear at both festivals.
The festival’s merchandise features many characters cooking, and I love how they brought Tiana and Remy into the mix over the past few years.
Festival of the Holidays
After Thanksgiving to right after the New Year
This festival highlights how everyone around the world celebrates their holidays, including the food. You will find a Bouche de Noel in France and potato latkes at the Israel booth.
There is no concert series for this festival, but you will find storytellers telling how they celebrate the holidays in their country, and you may even spot Santa while you are there.
My favorite part of this festival is the Cookie Stroll (mainly because I have a sweet tooth). Make sure to check that out the next time you are there!
My EPCOT Festival Pro Tip: Make a plan of action for what food and drinks you want before heading to each festival. This ensures you stay on budget and can try everything you want to!
Hope this helps you navigate your next EPCOT festival!
Frances Sherlock
Shoreline Destinations Disney World contributor
Blog by: Frances Sherlock
Frances is an Orlando local who visits the Disney Parks weekly. She is a Disney College Program alum and a former Disney Store Cast Member. Frances is also an avid Disney pin trader and she and her fiancé enjoy trying new restaurants on Disney properties.
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