2023 Complete Guide to the Epcot festivals (calendar, tips, FAQs)

Epcot is pretty much year-round festivals now, and that isn’t a bad thing.

With different themes and entertainment options, there’s sure to be an Epcot festival or special event for nearly every guest.

Let’s take a look at what you need to know about Epcot festivals.

Epcot Festivals Calendar

Trying to pick a date to visit? Use the calendar below to easily see the 2023 Epcot festival schedule:

Read more about all the festivals of Epcot:

Overview of all the Epcot Festivals

• Festival of the Arts
• Flower and Garden Festival
• Food and Wine Festival
• Festival of the Holidays

2023 Epcot Festival Calendar

While Disney hasn’t released the full 2023 Festival Calendar quite yet, we can make some educated guesses as to when we think each festival will likely run.

These dates are for planning purposes only, and nothing is confirmed until Disney releases more information.

• Festival of the Arts: January 13 — February 20, 2023 (Confirmed dates)
• Flower and Garden Festival : March 1 — July 5, 2023 (Confirmed dates)
• Food and Wine Festival: July 27 — November 18, 2023
• Festival of the Holidays (2023 ESTIMATED DATES): November 24 — December 30, 2023 (Actual Dates TBD)

And here’s a look at past festival dates:

Festival of the Arts (debuted in 2017)

Flower and Garden Festival (debuted in 1994)

Food and Wine Festival (debuted in 1995)

Festival of the Holidays (debuted in 2017)

What are the Epcot festivals (and how many are there)?

Nowadays, Epcot seems to always have a festival happening. If you want to experience a festival at Epcot, you’re in luck because they are basically year-round now.

The nice thing about these festivals is that anybody can attend with valid theme park admission and a theme park reservation (that you can make via the Disney Park Pass System).

Better yet, the festivals add more fun and food options to the park!

Get all of the details about the festivals in the guides below.

Festival of the Arts (mid-January through late February)

The Festival of the Arts is probably the festival with the best weather, and second to only the Flower and Garden Festival for beautiful things to look at.

It has the vibe of an upscale farm and art market paired with cool and fun foodie offerings.

And, while all festivals offer merchandise, this festival has a lot more things to purchase since the World Showcase Lagoon is literally dotted with tents and kiosks of various artists sharing their wares.

Unfortunately, it’s a super short festival, but a favorite for good reason. You definitely want to try and take advantage of the Festival of the Arts as much as possible.

Flower and Garden Festival (early March through early July)

The was the first festival to ever debut at Epcot and the park never looks more lovely than it does for the International Flower and Garden Festival.

Dozens of topiaries, expansive plantings, and butterflies galore paint this park into a rainbow of color.

And don’t forget the food!

If you want to attend, the earlier in the season you can go you’ll find better weather (it can get pretty warm by the end).

Food and Wine Festival (mid to late July through mid-November)

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is THE festival if food and wine are your thing.

And, as you can imagine, it is also the most popular.

Avoid the weekends for slightly fewer crowds and be prepared for waits at the food kiosks.

But go hungry … very hungry.

Festival of the Holidays (late November through late December)

The International Festival of the Holidays is the shortest festival of them all.

Typically running from Thanksgiving through the end of December, this festival showcases a celebration of the holidays across the entire World Showcase.

You’ll find all sorts of ways to explore international holiday customs as well as taste culinary selections from around the world.

This festival is also home to the extremely popular Candlelight Processional.

How do the Epcot festivals compare?

There are a few similarities and differences between each festival. Let’s take a look!

	FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS	FLOWER AND GARDEN	FOOD AND WINE	FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS
Time of Year	Winter	Spring into Summer	Summer into Fall	Fall into Winter
Length	About 1 month	About 4 months	About 4 months	About 1 month
Celebrations	Culinary, performing, visual arts	Gardening, horticulture, botany	Fine food and wine	Global holiday traditions
Menu Items	Colorful global cuisine and drinks that imitate art	Fresh food and beverages from around the world	Authentic global cuisine and beverages	Seasonal global food and drinks
Main Entertainment	Disney on Broadway Concert Series	Garden Rocks Concert Series	Eat to the Beat Series	Candlelight Processional
Scavenger Hunts	Figment’s Brush with the Masters	Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration and Eggstravaganza	Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak	Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition
Food Passport Strolls	Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine	Garden Graze	Emile’s Fromage Montage	Holiday Cookie Stroll

What can I expect if attending a festival at Epcot?

Theme park tickets are required for entry

All Epcot festivals are included with the price of your admission, however, there are select events within each festival that may require an extra ticket. The guides above will walk you through all of those.

You might have to eat on a trashcan

Many people that attend the festivals find themselves checking out at least 1 of the dozens of food kiosks scattered throughout the park.

What they may not expect is that there aren’t a lot of places to actually sit and eat what you buy.

More standing tables have been added over the years, but when it’s crowded, you may find yourself at a trashcan.

There is a pretty common “joke” about people eating off the tops of trashcans…which people will do.

No, it isn’t pretty, but it can be tricky to hold that fantastic flight of beers AND eat the plate of goodies all at once.

We don’t say this to scare you, but rather to prepare you. Don’t order more than you can hold and eat at once. Keep a good attitude and if you can, share your table with a stranger.

You should probably avoid the weekends

The festivals at Epcot are especially popular with locals, so for the lowest crowds whenever possible avoid the weekends and weekday holidays.

Last-minute reservations may be easy to snag

If eating on a trashcan isn’t your thing, it is often fairly easy to snag last minute Advanced Dining Reservations at Epcot during the busy festival days.

So many people opt to eat at the kiosks that there is often availability at the restaurants.

You may not be able to snag Space 220 or Garden Grill, but you’ll likely find openings at many of the World Showcase restaurants (especially if you are flexible with your reservation time).

VIDEO: Epcot Festivals 2023

Are there dining packages available?

While not directly related to the festivals, there are two Epcot dining packages available that (for a heftier price) provide guests with a heartier meal and reserved viewing for the nighttime show.

Check out our write-up on the fireworks dining packages at Epcot and our Magic Kingdom dessert party comparison guide for more details.

• All about the Fireworks Dining Packages at Epcot
• Harmonious Dining Package vs. Disney Enchantment Dessert After-Party

Frequently asked questions

How does the Disney Dining Plan work with festivals?

At this time, the Disney Dining Plan is currently suspended. But, Disney has confirmed the Disney Dining Plan will return at some point in the future.

In the past, some festival items were eligible for Snack Credits. It’s unclear if this will continue whenever the Disney Dining Plan returns.

What are the pros and cons to each festival?

Each festival is unique and special in it’s own way, but there are pros and cons to each. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Festival of the Arts

• Pros: Purchase Disney art, meet Disney artists, see Broadway performers, food and drinks are very good
• Cons: Much too short of a festival, especially as one of our favorites

Flower and Garden Festival

• Pros: Gorgeous topiaries, learn about horticulture, fresh food and drink offerings including worthy plant-based options
• Cons: Even though it runs for about 4 months giving guests a chance to enjoy, it’s still too long

Food and Wine Festival

• Pros: Great for wine fans, a lot of global marketplaces
• Cons: Falls during a hotter time of year, crowds can be overwhelming, only a few good booths, too long

Festival of the Holidays

• Pros: Candlelight Processional, learn about global holiday traditions, World Showcase Storytellers
• Cons: Super short, not many vegetarian/plant-based offerings, more sweet than savory menu items

What about the Festival Center?

The former Future World is now broken up into new sections, including one called World Celebration, and although Disney has scrapped some of the more ambitious plans for this area, there are still several components that are being made as compliments to the many festivals, including:

World Celebration Gardens

World Celebration will offer a beautiful hub divided into several different gardens, with a central planter based on the five-ring EPCOT logo. Filled with ample seating and shade, you’ll be invited to connect with one another and the nature around you in this lush new area. Each of these gardens will have their own identities, and they’ll change along with the festivals throughout the year.

Communicore Hall and Communicore Plaza

Although it isn’t as grand as what was originally proposed, the new CommuniCore Hall area will serve to provide a much-needed indoor space for festival activities, something that has been missing.

CommuniCore Plaza, on the other hand, will be compiled of 2 stages designed to accommodate both small and large-scale concerts (like the ones found at every festival).

The Odyssey Events Pavilion, which was historically used as the Festival Center during many of the festivals, now often houses festival booths (like Brew-Wing).

For more on Epcot events and future additions, check out our what is coming to Epcot page.

• 2023 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Dates Announced
• 2023 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Dates Announced
• 2023 Epcot International Festival of the Arts Dates Announced
• 2022 Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators & Dining Packages Announced
• 2023 Garden Rocks Concerts Series & Dining Packages Announced