Good morning, Tinkers!
Well, it’s one of my very FAVORITE times of year again! Time for Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival! Along with the Food and Wine Festival and Holidays Around the World, Flower and Garden is one of the top highlights on the Walt Disney World calendar and one event that I personally am SO excited to attend! It’s undeniably a gorgeous event to see, as all of Epcot is filled with rainbows of flowers and plants, fantastic topiary Disney characters, and even a butterfly garden, but that’s not ALL Flower and Garden is about! Did you know that you can catch some of the most fun concerts from famous artists of days gone by, AND taste some incredible bites and sips of market inspired dishes and drinks? Well, you can! And this year is set to be better than EVER! Here’s why…
First of all, this year’s Flower and Garden Festival will be the longest running yet, with three full months to enjoy the festivities. The festival officially opens on March 2nd and will run through May 30th.
Secondly, this year’s festival will help celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Parks Service, with a Ranger Mickey topiary paying homage in Future World. For the first time ever, Donald and his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, along with Miss Daisy, will be the featured topiary at the park entrance! And I’m sure we will see all of our other favorite topiaries around the park, like Anna and Elsa, Lightning McQueen and Mater, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Belle and the Beast and so many more!
The third reason this year’s festival is going to ROCK is because the concert lineup for the Garden Rocks concerts was just announced and there are some pretty awesome acts to see, including a few brand new ones! Check it out:
- March 4th-6th – The Orchestra with members of ELO (“Evil Woman” and “Comin’ Home Baby”)
- March 11th-13th – Starship with Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”)
- March 18th-20th – Little River Band (“Reminiscing” and “Lady”)
- March 25th-27th – The Village People (“Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man”)
- April 1st-3rd – Herman’s Hermits with Peter Noone (“Henry the VIII, I Am” and “There’s a King of Hush”)
- April 8th-10th – The Guess Who (“American Woman” and “These Eyes”)
- April 15th-17th – Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice from American Idol “Spinning Wheel” and “You Make Me So Very Happy”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- April 22nd-24th – Bad Company with Brian Howe (“Can’t Get Enough” and “Shooting Star”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- April 29th-May 1st – Georgia Satellites (“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” and “Hippy Hippy Shake”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- May 6th-8th – Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You”)
- May 13th-15th – Darlene Love (“Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home” and “He’s a Rebel”) NEW THIS YEAR!
- May 20th-22nd – Night Ranger (“Sister Christian” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me”)
- May 27th-30th – The Spinners (“Working My Way Back to You” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”)
Awesome, right??? Keep in mind, of course, that all entertainment is subject to change, but typically the shows stay pretty much as is. Each concert night, three shows are performed, one at 5:30pm, one at 6:45pm and one at 8pm. And the best part about these concerts? They are included with park admission!
And if you needed another reason to attend the festival, (though I am SURE you’re already convinced that you NEED to be there), don’t forget about the Outdoor Kitchens! (It’s like Food and Wine Festival meets Flower and Garden Festival!) About a dozen booths line the World Showcase Promenade and at each one you can find snack sized food items and sample sized drinks, alcoholic and non, for sale. Each booth has either a cultural theme, (like the Fleur de Lys booth in France), or a Flower and Garden theme, (like the Urban Eats booth in Future World). This year’s menus have not yet been announced, but I’ll be sure and update you as soon as they are!
I’ve just told you about the highlights of Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival, but there’s even more to enjoy, like three different playgrounds for kids, demonstrations on gardening and home needs, as well as appearances by HGTV celebrities!
SO??? What are you waiting for? Get your flight and resort booked and get your butt down here for some springtime fun!!! I’ll get the sunshine ready for you!
Tinkin' About Disney 