© Epcot

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival begins this week (March 5) and continues through May 18. If you’ve ever attended this Orlando theme park during this special event, then you’ll most likely know about the topiaries that are on display. You may also know about the concerts, presentations and kids activities, but unless you attended last year, you may not know about the outdoor kitchens. Making a return this year, outdoor kitchens will dot the beautiful landscape at Epcot and serve up a wide variety of cuisine.

Over a dozen outdoor kitchens will feature food and drink items that would be difficult to find at any other Orlando restaurant. How do bacon cupcakes, watermelon salad or Florida kumquat pie sound? These items and many more fill the menus at the Flower & Garden Festival. The outdoor kitchens include:

• Florida Fresh (next to Germany pavilion)
• Hanami (near Japan Pavilion)
• Jardin de Fiestas (near the Mexico Pavilion)
• Fleur de Lys (France Pavilion)
• Lotus House (near China Pavilion)
• Pineapple Promenade (near Canada)
• Primavera Kitchen (Italy)
• Taste of Marrakesh (near Morocco Pavilion)
• Urban Farm Eats
• The Smokehouse (near American Adventure)
• The Buttercup Cottage (near United Kingdom Pavilion)
• Intermissions Café (Festival Center)

The new topiaries for this year will feature Kermit and Frog and Miss Piggy. Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck will also be featured at the front entrance. Nearly 100 topiaries in all are spread out through the exhibits. These make for great photo ops! Have fun looking for them all! You may want to find them the easy way, with a guided tour led by a Disney horticulturist. The 3-hour tour of special displays and award-winning international gardens takes place Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 9:00 AM to noon. It is an additional coast of $64.00, plus tax.

Returning to the Orlando theme park this year are the numerous HGTV workshops. Every day during the Flower & Garden Festival several do-it-yourself projects will be featured, and on the weekends, events will  be hosted by many guest celebrities. Children will also have many activities to keep them busy. Currently scheduled HGTV design celebrities are:

• March 7-9: Vern Yip, “Design Star”
• March 14-16: Chris Lambton, “Going Yard”
• March 21-23: Matt Blashaw, “Yard Crashers”
• March 28-30: Matt Meunster, “Bath Crashers”
• April 4-6: Taniya Nayak, “House Hunters on Vacation”
• April 11-13: Amy Matthews, “Renovation Raiders”
• April 18-20: John Gidding, “Curb Appeal”
• April 25-27: David Bromstad, “Color Splash”
• May 2-4:Chip Wade, “Elbow Room”
• May 9-11: Genevieve Gorder, “Design Star”
• May 16-18: Alison Victoria, “Kitchen Crashers”

After dining and doing, relax at a concert during your visit to this attraction. Many vocalists return each year to perform at this Central Florida special event. New acts include Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and The Alan Parsons Live Project. Currently the concert schedule features these pop acts:

• March 7-9: The Guess Who “American Woman”
• March 14-16: Gary Lewis and The Playboys “This Diamond Ring”
• March 21-23: The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO “Evil Woman”
• March 28-30: The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City”
• April 4-6: Paul Revere & The Raiders “Good Thing”
• April 11-13: Village People “YMCA”
• April 18-20: The Grass Roots “Midnight Confessions”
• April 25-27: Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”
• May 2-4: STARSHIP Starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
• May 9-11: Chubby Checker & The Wildcats “The Twist”
• May 16-18: Alan Parsons Live Project “Eye in the Sky”

While most Epcot Flower & Garden Festival events are included with your theme park ticket, some experiences require a separate purchase or a separate admission fee. The easiest way to know before you go is to visit Epcots web site. By the way, the Watermelon Salad recipe is shared on the Epcot’s web site too. Enjoy!

Last Updated on August 9, 2023