Discover Orlando’s top Black History Month events and more ways to celebrate all year long.
February is Black History Month, and Orlando is ready to help you celebrate with live music, festivals, events and exhibitions. Discover some of our top Black History Month must-do’s, then keep joy alive all year long with Black-owned restaurants, historic sites and permanent museums celebrating Black American culture and heritage. Trust us: You won’t want to miss a moment of this spirited celebration.
Discover: Black American History & Culture
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ZORA!® Festival Season Events
Select Dates, Jan. 7 – 31, 2026
Celebrate famed author Zora Neale Hurston with art, culture, music and more at the ZORA!® Festival, an annual celebration hosted in Hurston’s historic childhood hometown of Eatonville — the very place which inspired the fictional setting of Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Kick things off with a virtual birthday celebration (Jan. 7) and the ZORA! Outdoor Festival of the Arts (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1), then explore additional lectures, art exhibitions and more throughout the year.
Discover: ZORA! Festival
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events
Select Dates, Jan. 11 – 19, 2026
You can also honor the legacy of Black American trailblazer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the days leading up to Black History Month. Celebrate with parades, a vigil, a festival and more in mid-January.
- Jan. 11: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Candlelight Vigil and March and 2026 Interfaith Multicultural Celebration in downtown Orlando
- Jan. 17: 48th Eatonville Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Celebration in Eatonville
- Jan. 18: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade in downtown Orlando
- Jan. 18: 24th Unity Heritage Festival & Open House in Winter Park
- Jan. 19: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration & Parade in Winter Garden
- Jan. 19: City of Ocoee Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Parade in Ocoee
Black History Month Celebration: Osceola Magic vs. South Bay Lakers
Feb. 2, 2026
The NBA G League’s Osceola Magic will host a spirited Black History Month Celebration as part of their upcoming game against the South Bay Lakers. Come cheer them on at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.
Discover: Orlando Sports
Brandon Martin: Lift Every Voice and Sing!
Feb. 3, 2026
Acclaimed vocalist Brandon Martin will present a stirring and uplifting portrait of the African American experience at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando. Presented in an intimate lounge setting at Judson’s Live, Lift Every Voice and Sing! features words and music from Black artists and activists throughout American history.
Discover: Orlando Arts & Culture
Dr. Phillips Center will also host a variety of Black American artists throughout Black History Month. Highlights include hip-hop DJ and Grammy Award-winning producer Pete Rock (Feb. 20), New Orleans-style jazz group Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (Feb. 21), and jazz vibraphonist Joel Ross (Feb. 26).
Black History Month Celebration: Orlando Magic vs. Brooklyn Nets
Feb. 5, 2026
The NBA’s Orlando Magic will honor the history, achievements and resilience of the Black community with special performances and cultural recognitions during their upcoming game against the Brooklyn Nets at Kia Center.
Sounds of the World Series: Soul Train Live at the Winter Park Library
Feb. 5, 2026
Take it back to the 1970s with Soul Train Live, presented by The Winter Park Playhouse at the Winter Park Library. This free production will feature old-school rhythm and blues, soul and hip-hop tunes from the era of Soul Train Live, a groundbreaking variety show that featured predominantly Black American dancers and legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, James Brown and Stevie Wonder.
Discover: Things to Do in Winter Park
Tiara’s Hat Parade at Orlando Family Stage
Select Dates, Feb. 7 – 22, 2026
Celebrate Black culture and innovation with Tiara’s Hat Parade, a family-friendly production based on the children’s book of the same name. Presented by Orlando Family Stage, it tells the tale of young Tiara, who uses kindness, creativity, artistry and community to help her mother to revive her hat-making business.
Black History Month Events at the Orange County Regional History Center
Select Dates, Feb. 7 – 15, 2026
Step back in time at the Orange County Regional History Center, where you’ll find a permanent exhibition on African American history as well as three special Black History Month events. Meet the Black American trailblazers who shaped our region with History Alive: Soul of the Sunshine State (Feb. 7), trace the Nightingale family’s journey in the Brechner Speaker Series (Feb. 8), and celebrate Black animators and storytellers through sensory-friendly activities during Sensory Sunday (Feb. 15).
Timucua Amplifies Black Voices Series at Timucua Arts Foundation
Select Dates, Feb. 13 – 21, 2026
Local live music gem Timucua Arts Foundation will host a variety of Black American artists, including jazz musicians, R&B singers, classical music groups and a resident visual artist across two weekends in February. Explore individually ticketed performances by K.I.M. – Cool Contemporary Jazz (Feb. 13), Assel Jean-Pierre Trio (Feb. 14), Fragrance of Yah (Feb. 20), and Ari & Cecil Alexander Quartet (Feb. 21), or book Timucua Amplifies Black Voices combo tickets or festival passes to suit your musical preferences.
Discover: Timucua Arts Foundation
MLK Gospel Concert
Feb. 22, 2026
Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free MLK Gospel Concert at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This annual tradition is presented by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and is produced and directed by Grammy Award winner, Dr. Jeffrey Redding. The concert is free to attend (first come, first served), with non-perishable food donations requested in lieu of cash.
Discover: More Free & Low-Cost Activities
Sanford Jazz Ensemble Salute to Black History Month Concert
Feb. 22, 2026
Sanford Jazz Ensemble will present their annual Salute to Black History Month concert at The Ritz Theater in Sanford, featuring musical tributes to iconic American entertainers Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, Marvin Gaye and Thelonious Monk. Sanford is about 30 minutes north of downtown Orlando, with plenty to do and see before the show.
Discover: SunRail Day Trips
Katt Williams: The Golden Age Tour at Addition Financial Arena
Feb. 27, 2026
Critically acclaimed comedian Katt Williams will bring his The Golden Age tour to Addition Financial Arena at the University of Central Florida. Williams’ stand-up style combines articulate and sharp dialogue rooted in conversations reflecting the American political landscape.
Black History Month Galleries & Exhibitions
A Century of Black History Commemorations: Black History Month Gallery at Orlando City Hall
Feb. 3 – March 31, 2026
Explore the stories, movements, impact and culture of Black Americans at the City of Orlando’s Black History Month gallery. A Century of Black History Commemorations will feature original works by Central Florida artists reflecting on themes like resilience, historical legacy, contemporary identity and the contributions of Black trailblazers, scholars and everyday heroes. Join the opening celebration on Feb. 3, or stop by the Terrace Gallery at Orlando City Hall to explore this free exhibition weekdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Discover: Orlando Galleries & Museums
Value Test: Brown Bag at Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts
Select Dates, January – February 2026
Explore themes of race, beauty and belonging with Mary Graham’s Value Test: Brown Bag, a new exhibition at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts. The gallery includes several paintings of individuals on brown paper bags, a thought-provoking reference to the “paper bag test” once used by Black Americans to further discriminate against those with the darkest skin tones. Join an opening reception (part of the 2026 ZORA! Festival Season) to meet Mary Graham, enjoy an illuminating artist talk, and mingle with curators and art enthusiasts in Eatonville.
Various Collections at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center
Open Year-Round
Step back in time to discover the hardships and triumphs of Winter Park’s Black community with The Heritage Collection, a permanent exhibition at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park. The exhibition includes personal photographs, stories and more from multiple generations of Hannibal Square residents, with experiences from the 1900s all the way to present day.
Discover: Things to Do in Winter Park
Other permanent exhibitions at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center include a timeline of historic events as well as The Sage Project, which features oral histories and photographs of some of the neighborhood’s oldest residents.
African American History Exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center
Open Year-Round
Explore the tragedies and triumphs of Black Americans at the Orange County Regional History Center. The jewel of the African American history exhibit is a series of paintings by the Florida Highwaymen, Black landscape artists who captured Florida’s natural beauty and sold their work up and down the coast in the 1950s – 1960s.
Local Black Culture & History
Historic Eatonville
Just 25 minutes north of Orlando’s entertainment districts, the historic town of Eatonville was one of the first self-governing, all-Black municipalities in the U.S. — and the oldest still in existence today. Established two decades after the end of slavery in the United States, Eatonville served as a haven for newly emancipated Black Americans with the motto, “The Town That Freedom Built.”
Discover: Things to Do in Eatonville
Kick off Black History Month at the annual ZORA! Festival, then visit the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts or discover the town’s historic sights with year-round walking tours (reservations required) from the The Association to Preserve the Community of Eatonville.
Parramore District & West Lakes Market Street District
The oldest and largest Black neighborhood in Orlando, the Parramore District is an area rich in culture, heritage and heart. Discover local history through a fascinating collection of African art and artifacts, displays of the Civil Rights movement, and memorabilia of Orlando’s Black community at the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture, then explore the district to see how Parramore residents are creating their own modern legacies.
Discover: Things to Do in Parramore District
Nearby in the West Lakes Market Street District, Tinker Field History Plaza marks the former site of Tinker Field baseball stadium, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a moving Civil Rights speech in 1964. It’s located next to Camping World Stadium and amenity-packed Lake Lorne Doone Park.
Discover: Things to Do in West Lakes Market Street District
Black-Owned Restaurants & Businesses
Get a taste of Orlando’s rich culinary artistry at Black-owned restaurants throughout the city. Start at The District GastroBar, a modern gastropub with a seriously cool history in the Parramore District. The area once hosted legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles and Count Basie, while the restaurant itself was featured in The Green Book, an annual guidebook first published in 1936 to help Black travelers safely navigate a segregated country. Spot your favorite Black musical icons in mural form, then head inside for delicious flavors and vintage ambiance.
Discover: Black-Owned Restaurants in Orlando
Additional Black-owned restaurants in Orlando include Smokemade Meats + Eats, The Licking Orlando, Kalalou Bar & Grill, Kook’n With Kim (as seen on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil), Nile Ethiopian, Chicken Fire, Sister Honey’s, Virgin Island Thyme, Selam Ethiopian & Eitrean, Vitality Bowls Orlando, Oley’s Kitchen, Nikki’s Place, Brappin’ Crabs, and many more tasty picks throughout the destination.
If it’s shopping you’re after, Three Masks in the West Lakes Market Street District sells one-of-a-kind art and goods sourced from Nigeria, Ghana and other parts of Africa. You can find more Black-owned businesses throughout Orlando, including natural beauty and wellness products from WENVIA, paper goods from Pretty Peacock Paperie, bath products from Naked Bar Soap Co., home good and gifts from Miscellaneous Market, and more.
Discover: Orlando Shopping
Black American history, arts and culture are key parts of Orlando’s rich tapestry, and there’s lots more to explore while you’re here. Take advantage of our free planning tools and other resources to unlock an Orlando getaway that’s perfect for your family!
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