Epcot has four festivals throughout the year: Epcot International Festival of the Arts, Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, and Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. Each offers a unique experience to visitors, with food, drinks, and fun for the whole family! I’ve been to every festival except the Festival of the Holidays, and I have to say each one offers something different. I love them all for different reasons, which I’ll explain below! You can read through current festival guides here!
Epcot International Festival of the Arts
Typically taking place around mid January to late February, the Festival of the Arts is the newest festival in Epcot’s lineup. This festival celebrates visual arts, performing arts, and of course, culinary arts! Enjoy art galleries, interactive exhibits, food booths, and more as you explore Epcot. For an added cost, workshops and demonstrations are available, with topics ranging from cel painting to floral design. Performing arts events take place at World Showcase, with dining packages available that include reserved seating.
Festival of the Arts is the smallest in terms of offerings, although I can’t speak to the Festival of the Holidays since I have yet to experience Epcot during the holidays. (I’ll get there eventually!). Visiting Epcot during the Festival of the Arts is great, though – since it is the smallest of the Festivals, it attracts the lowest crowds. There aren’t really any long lines at the food booths, and we were able to see the artists’ booths and chalk art without any wait, either. It’s a solid addition to the Festival line-up at Epcot, and I hope to see it grow in the coming years.
Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Perhaps the most colorful of the Festivals is the Flower and Garden Festival, taking place from the spring to early summer at Epcot. The park is adorned with topiary displays, gardens, and colorful flower arrangements, bringing a lively splash of color throughout the park. In addition to the floral work throughout the park, eat your way around World Showcase at various food booths, and learn from horticulture and gardening experts at a variety of workshops and demonstrations, for an additional cost. Enjoy performing arts experiences at the Garden Rocks concert series at World Showcase, with dining packages that include reserved seating.
The Flower and Garden Festival is my personal favorite Festival at Epcot. It offers a lovely mix of eye candy and delectable food from food booths scattered throughout the park. The weather this time of year is exceptionally nice too – not too hot, not too cold. To me, it represents the best of what Epcot has to offer, taking advantage of its sprawling open spaces, filling it with floral displays and showing off its culinary talent.
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
The Food and Wine Festival is the most popular of the Festivals at Epcot, taking place late summer to mid-fall. In fact, it even has a RunDisney event associated with it in early
November! The Food and Wine Festival has numerous food booths, cooking demonstrations, and more to satisfy your culinary desires! The Eat to the Beat concert series also takes place at World Showcase, with dining packages that include reserved seating.
The Food and Wine Festival is held at a fun time of year to visit Walt Disney World. The weather isn’t unbearably hot and humid like it is during the summer, and crowds aren’t too bad – as it gets further into the fall, more school-aged kids head back into school. And if you’re a foodie, Food and Wine Festival is the perfect event. There are tons of food booths to choose from!
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
The Festival of the Holidays takes place around mid-November through the end of December, and celebrates the holidays around the world. Enjoy holiday kitchens around World Showcase, and celebrate the spirit of the season with performances of the Candlelight Processional, a traditional event dating back to the days of Walt Disney. The event is also held at Disneyland for one weekend only. At Epcot, however, it is held over multiple weekends at World Showcase!
The Festival of the Holidays is a smaller offering in comparison to the other festivals, but it offers a unique perspective on holiday celebrations around the world. Enjoy food, a cookie stroll, and traditional holiday tales around the world. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays with the entire family!
