Fall for cultural celebrations, sports, culinary delights and Halloween haunts this autumn.
Updated Oct. 2, 2025
Smaller crowds, cooler temperatures and a wealth of can’t-miss events make fall a fantastic time to experience Orlando. See for yourself with amazing artistry, live sports, food fests and Halloween happenings for all ages and interests this autumn.
Orlando vacation planning made easy — and free. Make a complimentary appointment with Visit Orlando’s Vacation Planners at a time and date of your choosing for the latest insider advice, special offers and more ahead of your next visit.
Arts, Special Events & Sports
Every autumn, the arts come alive in Orlando — as do NBA basketball, NCAA football and other special happenings. Here are the major fall events you won’t want to miss in 2025.
Orlando celebrates the rich culture and history and U.S. citizens hailing from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America with festive events, shows, specialty dining and more during Hispanic Heritage Month. With nearly 35% of Central Florida’s population identifying as Hispanic or Latino and a wide range of things to do, it’s a fall fiesta like no other.
Basketball & Concerts at Kia Center (Throughout Fall)
Part of downtown Orlando’s Parramore District, the Kia Center is best known as the home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic — but it’s also a world-class concert venue that attracts a galaxy of national and international superstars. Fall concerts in 2025 are set to include Andrea Bocelli (Oct. 9), NBA YoungBoy (Oct. 11), Billie Eilish (Oct. 14), the Jonas Brothers (Oct. 26), Ana Gabriel (Nov. 5), Jeezy (Nov. 23) and more. Check our events calendar for the complete fall lineup.
Fresh off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Magic will also be playing home games at the Kia Center this fall. They will kick off the season with preseason games against the Miami Heat (Oct. 12) and New Orleans Pelicans (Oct. 16), followed by 41 additional chances to see them play live.
Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival & Asian Cultural Expo (Oct. 4, 2025)
Held at Bill Frederick Park near Universal Orlando Resort, the Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival & Asian Cultural Expo blends a 2,500-year-old tradition with the fun and excitement of an outdoor festival packed with culture, sport and international flavors. Watch as paddlers move in unison, combining strength and teamwork to power boats whose design originates in ancient China.
Races begin at 9 a.m. and continue throughout the day. The family-friendly event also features the Asian Cultural Expo presented by Asia Trend, a Health & Wellness Village, food trucks, and a marketplace. Admission is free.
Come Out With Pride Orlando
Come Out With Pride Orlando (Oct. 18, 2025)
Now in its 21st year, Orlando’s Come Out With Pride is an LGBTQ+ celebration of pride and support held at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. This nonprofit event fosters a sense of community, encourages LGBTQ+ citizens to live openly and with pride, and educates the general public. Everyone from Central Florida and beyond is invited to come together and make a positive impact on Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community.
Over three days, EDC Orlando 2025 will showcase an eclectic mix of more than 120 dance music acts at historic Tinker Field, adjacent to Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando’s West Lakes Market Street District. From dance music’s strong roots in Florida to the explosive energy of Orlando itself, the iconic music festival will offer countless special moments as it celebrates more than a quarter century of love, community and dance “Under the Electric Sky.”
Florida Blue Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium (Courtesy Florida Citrus Sports)
Florida Blue Florida Classic (Nov. 22, 2025)
The Florida Blue Florida Classic brings old college friends and families together for an entire weekend of football fun. The main event features the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats and Florida A&M University Rattlesnakes battling it out at Camping World Stadium for bragging rights in their long-running annual rivalry.
You can also attend University of Central Florida Division XII home games throughout the fall. More big college games are coming to Orlando this winter, including the StaffDNA Cure Bowl (Dec. 17, 2025), Pop-Tarts® Bowl (Dec. 27, 2025), Cheez-It® Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31, 2025) and Hula Bowl (Jan. 10, 2026).
FusionFest (Kadeem Stewart)
FusionFest (Nov. 29 – 30, 2025)
Every Thanksgiving weekend, FusionFest brings the whole world to downtown Orlando — more or less. Held at the open-air Seneff Arts Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando’s City District, this two-day gala invites you to explore more than 110 global cultures, starting with authentic dishes from around the world.
FusionFest also features experiences and contests celebrating music, dance, visual arts, spoken word, games, interactive activities and more. The festival is free to attend with food, beverages and merchandise being available for purchase.
Dazzling Nights is an all-ages, interactive holiday event that transforms the 50-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens into a stunning winter wonderland. Expect a million dazzling lights, shining forests, magical displays, music and beautiful sculptures.
The event is produced by Creative City Project, the same team behind February’s IMMERSE festival in downtown Orlando. Leu Gardens is part of Audubon Park Garden District close to downtown Orlando and Winter Park.
You can also enjoy the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, the all-ages Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt, a flavorful food stroll courtesy of Emile’s Fromage Montage, and Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit. The festival is included with park admission, with food and beverages available for purchase.
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Fall Food & Wine Classic (Nov. 14 – 15, 2025)
Hosted by Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and open to the general public, the open-air Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Fall Food & Wine Classic pairs wines from around the world with culinary artistry from the resort’s top chefs. This year’s edition will be headlined by celebrity chefs Todd English and Michael Mina of the resort’s bluezoo and Bourbon Steak eateries, respectively. In addition to appearing for meet and greets, both will host their own signature tasting experience — a first for the event.
Choose from event-only tickets, which provide unlimited samples of all food and beverages plus entry to the Beer Garden, or make it a gourmet getaway with overnight packages at the main resort and the new Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.
From August through November, Orlando scares up a ghoulishly good time with spooky soirees and fantastic fun for children and adults — including these scream-tastic standouts. Get more details and discover other seasonal celebrations in our roundup of Halloween events in Orlando.
On Aug. 28, 2025, you can take advantage of shorter wait times and staggered entry, plus all-you-care-to-enjoy select food and non-alcoholic beverages during Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Night. Plus, this one-night event invites you to wear costumes! (Subject to costume policy; no costume masks allowed.)
WARNING: EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. NO COSTUMES OR COSTUME MASKS ALLOWED.
Howl-O-Scream resurfaces at SeaWorld Orlando and promises a new year of spine-tingling fear at this separately ticketed event, featuring scare zones, houses of horror, nighttime coaster rides, fiendishly interactive bars, and the monstrous electricity of live shows. There is more to sea than ever: more screams, more terror and more haunts, and only in Orlando.
Please note: Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore and blood. No costumes are allowed.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World® Resort (Select Nights, Aug. 15 – Oct. 31, 2025)
Join some of your favorite Disney Characters for an evening of spirited fun at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an all-ages, specially ticketed celebration at Magic Kingdom® Park, part of Walt Disney World Resort. Revel in the extraordinarily enchanting atmosphere of this limited-capacity event.
Eerie entertainment is set to include the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! at Cinderella Castle, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, the DescenDANCE Party high-energy rave, Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade, the Trick-or-Treat Trail, Disney Characters in costume (including fresh threads for Mickey and Minnie), and more than 20 favorite attractions with a Halloween twist. You’re also invited to wear costumes with some restrictions.
Celebrate Halloween with trick-or-treating, costumes, your favorite sea friends and plenty of spooky surprises. Treat your family to all the festive fun of SeaWorld Spooktacular, included with park admission at SeaWorld Orlando this fall.
Brick-or-Treat Presents Monster Party at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort
Brick-or-Treat Presents Monster Party at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort (Select Saturdays, Sundays & Halloween, Sept. 20 – Nov. 2, 2025)
At LEGOLAND® Florida Resort, get bewitched by ghoul-tastic fun during Brick-or-Treat with tidal waves of candy, exclusive LEGO® monsters, an award-winning drone show and wickedly delicious treats. All the fun of Brick-or-Treat is included with park admission to LEGOLAND® Florida Theme Park.
Cultural celebrations, college football, food festivals and spooky thrills aren’t the only activities you’ll enjoy in Orlando this autumn. From joyful music to beautiful art to live sports, we have fall festivities for every age group and interest. Explore our Events Calendar to see what’s happening during your next visit to Orlando.
Stay Connected to Orlando
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Nate Shelton is a native Floridian and longtime Orlandoan who enjoys everything that makes life worth living. (Especially his wife and their cats.) He’s a content senior manager at Visit Orlando.
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FusionFest (Thuyvi Gates)
