The 20th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will boost flowering fun and culinary creations to a whole new level. The event runs from March 6 through May 19 and boasts whimsical topiary displays featuring your Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Pluto and other popular characters.
Guests will discover a new garden and children’s play area inspired by the Disney film “Oz the Great and Powerful,” admire colorful garden displays, and attend weekend concerts.
Disney’s own wonderful landscaping is enhanced by illuminated gardens, new topiary additions, and Disney character-shaped shrubs.
World famous chefs will come at this annual festival to create special menus that include angel food cake with macerated berries, shrimp with grits, ratatouille tart with goat cheese, crab tostadas with salsa and other savory dishes.
This year’s festival will include a dozen “Garden Marketplaces” featuring specialty drinks and foods inspired by gardens. This move takes its inspiration from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, a popular fall event.
The emphasis is on local food, regional cuisine, and tapas-sized portions of international dishes. Guests will also have access to a variety of cocktails and wines. International pavilions include Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico), Taste of Marrakesh (Morocco), Primavera Kitchen (Italy), and Fruits by the Glass.
For the first time, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will display Mike and Sully topiaries. Visitors will also have access to a “Land of Oz Play Area” and an “Oz Movie Garden” for kids.
These special areas will feature the iconic crashed hot-air balloon, circus-themed game tent, giant flowers, and unusual plants. Guests will discover festival surprises around every corner, including gardening design tips, HGTV celebrity designers, midway-style games, and floating mini-gardens.
Other highlights include the HGTV celebrity presentations and the Flower Power Concert series. Chubby Checker & The Wildcats, The Guess Who, America Gardens Theatre, The Village People, Tommy Roe and other famous bands will entertain the audience with rockin’ tunes from the ’50s through the ’90s.
