Whether you're coming for spring break or want an unbeatable destination for Easter, Orlando is safely bringing on spring with a bounty of open-air theme park events and multicultural celebrations, including the Taste of EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World® Resort (pictured; © Disney).
Dreaming of a spring getaway? Winter will soon be over in Orlando, and we’re ready to celebrate with fun, open-air festivals you won’t want to miss — including those at Walt Disney World® Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld® Orlando and LEGOLAND® Florida Resort, all included with park admission!
Our theme parks, event organizers and other businesses are also going above and beyond to safeguard your peace of mind with health and sanitization measures designed to protect you, including reduced capacity, face-mask and social-distancing requirements, and more. So, put on some comfortable shoes and sunblock: It’s time to bring on spring in Orlando!
Learn more: Orlando Awaits as Your No. 1 Healthy Travel Destination
Please note: Depending on the timing of your visit, some experiences may be temporarily modified or closed. Learn more about healthy travel and what’s open in Orlando, and check with your favorite attractions for their current status.
Spring & Late Winter Events at Orlando Theme Parks
Spring is in the air at Orlando’s expansive theme parks, all of which have special springtime events for 2021 that are included with admission! (Please note that Walt Disney World Resort and SeaWorld Orlando require reservations in addition to park admission.)
Learn more: Orlando Theme Parks Welcome You Back
Walt Disney World® Resort
At Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT® kicks off the year with two unique festivals serving fantastic food and beverages!
Save on discount tickets: Walt Disney World Resort
Taste of EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Show (Through July 5, 2021)
Spring is alive at Walt Disney World® Resort. And from March 3 – July 5, you can awaken your senses with the best in springtime flavors and floral at the Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival!
The whole family can have a bloomin’ great time as you discover everything from Disney Character topiaries and breathtaking garden spaces to exciting exhibits, wildlife habitats and even a fun, themed scavenger hunt. Then, have a taste of what’s cooking at over 15 Outdoor Kitchens featuring a wide variety of tasty dishes, desserts and specialty sips. Plus, there’s plenty of lively entertainment as musical acts take the stage in Canada, at the America Gardens Theatre and beyond.
So, whether you’re craving nature’s beauty or its delicious bounty, the Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival has it all! Get complete details.
Valid admission and park reservations required. Entertainment and offerings subject to change without notice. © Disney
PAST EVENT: Taste of EPCOT® International Festival of the Arts (Ended Feb. 22, 2021)
What happens when you mix visual, culinary and performing arts inspired from all around the world? You get the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, now in its fifth year! Enjoy artful sights, surprises and unique experiences throughout the festival. Explore art galleries at World Showcase, discover intriguing art techniques of cultures near and far, see amazing interpretations of Disney Characters, and so much more.
Have an appetite for the culinary arts? You can feast on artistic dishes with delicious Disney twists, sample art-inspired menus at the many Food Studios, and find lots of other fun food diversions to sink your teeth into. And new for 2021, Voices of Liberty will take to the stage at America Gardens Theatre with a brand-new showcase: The Disney Songbook, which features the group celebrating the artistry of Disney composers and lyrics while performing a variety of your favorite Disney songs.
Experience this celebration of art, food and entertainment, perfectly blended to satisfy every palate — and palette — only at the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!
Valid admission and park reservations required. Entertainment and offerings subject to change without notice. © Disney
Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval at Universal Orlando Resort (Extended Through May 2, 2021)
Head to Universal Studios Florida for Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval, featuring authentic cuisine inspired by iconic Carnaval festivities from around the globe!
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This global food fest will boast delectable dishes and beverages from 13 worldwide destinations, including Cajun and Carnaval fare. Plus, Universal Studios Florida will be decked out in vibrant decor that includes spectacular, intricately detailed Mardi Gras floats stationed throughout the park — giving you the chance to get up close to them for the first time ever!
You can also enjoy a Big Easy bash in the streets with energetic dancers and stilt performers in extraordinary costumes, brass band musicians, and numerous beads. And don’t miss the newly themed Mardi Gras Tribute Store, stocked with merchandise you can use to create the perfect look for this epic celebration. Experience the real feel of Carnaval as you enjoy live music and sizzling food, and let the good times roll! Get complete details.
Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando (Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays Through May 9, 2021)
Oceans of flavor and fun are waiting at SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival! From foodies to families, everyone will find tasty delights among more than 200 distinct (and mostly new this year!) offerings — the most SeaWorld has ever offered!
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Revitalize your taste buds as you share this welcoming, open-air experience, including more than 50 fresh global cuisine choices to pair with over 75 wine and cocktail selections and 75 craft beers. (Speaking of the latter, be sure to check out their relaxing new beer garden, too!) Add a taste of rock, country, Latin, or ‘90s throwback sounds with the return of the festival’s exciting live concert series. And enjoy even more diverse entertainment and surprises at special times like Mardi Gras and Cinco de Mayo.
With exquisite flavors to top off exhilarating coasters and extraordinary animals, SeaWorld Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival is a voyage to stir the soul — and warm the belly! Get complete details.
PAST EVENT: PirateFest Weekends at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort (Ended Feb. 28, 2021)
“Arrrgh” you ready for some fun? With Brickbeard’s new show weighing anchor for PirateFest Weekends, LEGOLAND Florida Resort will be overtaken by his friends and be home to its first-ever pirate invasion! Junior Pirates and their crew will be recruited to join the fun with new characters, themed LEGO® build activities, an epic adventure and more. Check back for more details about this year’s event!
Save on discount tickets: LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Plus, Feb. 12 will mark the debut of LEGOLAND Florida’s all-new Brickbeard’s Watersport Stunt Show! Thrill to a never-before-seen, new female LEGO® pirate character; new original music; and gravity-defying water stunts that include wakeboarding, barefoot-skiing, jump acts, an iconic ski pyramid, and an all-new flyboard act that takes the show to heroic heights above Lake Eloise. Stay tuned for even more amazing details about this exciting extravaganza over the next few months!
More Spring & Late Winter Events in Orlando
Looking for more ways to get out and enjoy Orlando’s wide-open spaces and gorgeous spring weather? Check out these multicultural festivals that are already underway or coming soon. Refer to this blog for additional 2021 events as they’re announced!
Learn more: Orlando Arts & Culture
Please note: All scheduled dates and times are subject to change. Additionally, many of Orlando’s traditional springtime events are expected to return in 2022.
30th Annual Florida Film Festival (April 9-22, 2021)
Offering online and in-person viewing opportunities, the 30th annual Florida Film Festival is set to screen 164 films representing 31 countries. What’s more, 151 of this year’s selections have premiere status, including 23 world premieres. Throw in special events, filmmaker forums and more, and it’s easy to see why this is considered to be Florida’s premier cinematic celebration. Get complete details.
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival (May 14-16, 2021)
Launched in 1960, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious outdoor art festivals in the country. The juried show features hundreds of national artists displaying paintings, sculpture, glasswork, jewelry, woodworking and much more — and this year, it will be supplemented by a virtual edition from March 15-31, 2021. (Yes, two months earlier than the live show!) Admission to both is free. Get complete details.
Learn more: Winter Park
Packed with acclaimed restaurants, upscale shopping and numerous art galleries, the gorgeous city of Winter Park is approximately 25 minutes northeast of our main tourism districts.
Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival (May 18-31, 2021)
Running two full weeks, the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival — aka Orlando Fringe — is an immersive cultural experience featuring 850 ticketed theatrical performances and a free outdoor music festival. Although Loch Haven Park close to downtown Orlando serves as the event’s main campus, select programming is also held at nearby venues in Ivanhoe Village and Winter Park. Expect to see local, national and international artists, as well as enhanced safety measures to help keep you safe! Get complete details.
Check back for more ways to bring on spring in Orlando as they’re announced, or head to our Events Calendar!
Earlier Events
Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities, aka ZORA!® Festival (Select Dates Through Jan. 31, 2021)
Celebrating the works and influences of prominent Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God), the annual ZORA! Festival takes place in Hurston’s historic hometown of Eatonville, about 30 minutes north of our tourism districts. It’s a multi-day, multi-disciplinary, intergenerational event composed of public talks, conferences, movie screenings, arts education programming and more, and you can only experience it in Orlando!
Learn more: Orlando History
For 2021, organizers are hosting a month-long series of virtual and in-person events, with face masks and social distancing required at the latter. (Hand sanitizer will also be available.) Standout events include Half-Day Trips to Eatonville every Sunday in January, plus a Drive-In Movie Double Feature on Jan. 30, but there are many other ways to join the celebration.
Down the Rabbit Hole (Select Dates, Feb. 6 – March 14, 2021)
Presented by Creative City Project, the same team behind downtown Orlando’s legendary IMMERSE multimedia arts event, Down the Rabbit Hole is a theatrical journey that unfolds as you follow Alice through gorgeous Mead Botanical Gardens in Winter Park, just north of downtown Orlando. Circus arts, dance, music and theater come together to put you right in the middle of this beloved story! Get complete details.
Map of Spring Events in Orlando for 2021
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