Annual neighborhoods and theme park events add an authentic Orlando experience to your agenda (Electric Dance Carnival pictured).

Orlando’s year-round calendar is filled with annual festivals and special events, providing multiple opportunities to incorporate local experiences into your meeting agenda — no matter when your event takes place. Whether it’s vibrant cultural festivities, culinary celebrations or seasonal attractions, there’s always something exciting happening across Orlando’s diverse neighborhoods and world-famous theme parks that will immerse attendees in our destination’s local vibe.

Discover: Orlando Events

Many of our events offer group options while others offer attendees a reason to extend their stay and experience some of the weekend-only festivities. Connect with Visit Orlando’s Convention Sales and Destination Experience teams and they’ll help you navigate our events calendar, dates for which are subject to change yearly.

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Savory Food Festivals

Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando (Jan. – May)

Dive into an ocean of flavor at the Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando, featuring internationally inspired dishes, delicious beverages and live concerts. Plus, attendees can enjoy special live entertainment, dishes and surprises for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and more special events throughout the festival.

Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval (Feb. – March)

Celebrate Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval, an awesome party at Universal Studios Florida inspired by Carnaval celebrations around the world. Sample international cuisine from every corner of the globe as well as sizzling New Orleans favorites, then party on with a spectacular parade, beads by the handful and live music. Plus, rock out with concerts from world-renowned talent on the Music Plaza Stage.

EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival (Aug. – Nov.)

Embark on a culinary journey around the world at the EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival. This fan-favorite festival features globally inspired flavors from six continents, with food and beverage items available for purchase, and a nightly concert series.

Taste of Space: Fall Bites! (October)

Take the group to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, just an hour east of Orlando, and experience the out-of-this-world Taste of Space: Fall Bites! food event.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic (November)

Foodies in your group can also indulge during the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. Hosted by Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, this gourmet getaway features unlimited tastings from restaurants and lounges served in a gorgeous alfresco setting. Enjoy bottomless culinary

selections and wine, beer and beverages from around the world, plus live entertainment, food and beverage seminars, and face time with the resort’s chefs and sommeliers.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® Presented by Orlando Health (Aug. – Sept.)

Every fall, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health offers diners the opportunity to experience a three-course, prix-fixe menu for $40 or $60 (plus tax and gratuity) at top restaurants through Orlando. Even better, it provides participants an easy way to give back to the community as a portion of every meal sold benefits a local nonprofit, raising nearly $3 million to date.

Arts & Culture Events

Festivals (Year-Round)

The greater Orlando area offers year-round cultural festivals. Orlando’s neighborhoods become cultural playgrounds, connecting attendees to art in ways that are accessible, inviting and unforgettable. The neighborhoods-wide lineup spans genres and generations: historical parades, classical concerts, indie theater debuts, jazz nights, family-friendly book festivals and immersive art experiences in the streets. Many events are free or affordably priced, making it simple for attendees to dive in.

IMMERSE (February)

Attendees can IMMERSE themselves in 10 city blocks of downtown Orlando which are filled with hundreds of live performances, immersive art installations, and unexpected creative experiences.

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Orlando (November)

Over three days, EDC Orlando showcases 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 offers countless special moments as it celebrates more than a quarter century of love, community and dance “Under the Electric Sky.”

EPCOT® International Festival of the Arts (Jan. – Feb.)

Every dish is a work of art at the EPCOT® International Festival of the Arts, a delectable Walt Disney World® Resort event that blends culinary, visual and performing arts. Indulge in colorful fare from over a dozen food studios, then join The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine to try several delicious dishes and collect a tasty prize.

EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival (March – June)

Discover fresh springtime flavors, brilliant floral displays and more fun in bloom at the at the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival, held every spring at Walt Disney World. Savor garden fresh fare from dozens of outdoor marketplaces, then discover how to grow your own health-conscious food at herb gardens throughout the park.

Cultural Celebrations

ZORA!® Festival Season (Jan. – Oct.)

First presented in 1990, the ZORA! Festival Season, celebrating author Zora Neale Hurston, is a multi-disciplinary, intergenerational series of public talks, conferences, movie screenings, arts education programming and more. Taking place in Eatonville, one of the first self-governing Black American communities in the U.S., and throughout Orange County, the season always kicks off on Hurston’s birthday (Jan. 7). Several other events follow in January, including the season’s signature celebration — the ZORA!® Outdoor Festival of the Arts — with still more programming scheduled through October.

Juneteenth (June)

Juneteenth (a mix of “June” and “Nineteenth”) officially takes place on June 19 — but the celebration kicks off even earlier in Orlando, where our spirited community and rich history and culture combine to create an unforgettable celebration of freedom and resilience, from cultural expositions and concerts to events honoring famous African Americans.

Come Out With Pride (October)

One of our most beloved annual celebrations is Orlando’s Come Out With Pride Festival, hosted at Lake Eola Park in October. It’s organized by Come Out With Pride, a volunteer-led non-profit that provides LGBTQ+ events and support all year long.

Halloween Events

Scare up a ghoulish agenda by including Orlando’s popular Halloween events. There’s a reason we’re known as the Halloween Vacation Capital.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort (Aug. – Nov.)

Summon your scream squad to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort. During this separately ticketed event, your group can face haunted houses, scare zones, live entertainment and some of the most exhilarating attractions at Universal Studios Florida.

Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld® Orlando (Sept. – Nov.)

Howl-O-Scream resurfaces every year at SeaWorld Orlando. Experience 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.

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins™ at Gatorland (October)

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins brings spooky fun to Gatorland, the Alligator Capital of the World™. Spot Skunk Ape and more legendary cryptids, take a gravedigger-led tour of Swamp Ghost’s Monster Movie Museum, and watch out for werebeasts, extra-terrestrials and enormous bugs along the way.

Holiday Events

There’s no place like Orlando for the holidays, where dazzling theme park events, vibrant community celebrations and jaw-dropping holiday spectacles can help make your meetings bright.

Festival of Trees at Orlando Museum of Art (November)

Included with general admission at Orlando Museum of Art, Festival of Trees features over 50 designer-decorated trees, festive wreaths, gingerbread creations and more. Explore daily themed entertainment, a Holiday Boutique, plus additional ticketed events to include an adults-only cocktail party and more.

Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens (Nov. – Jan.)

See the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in a festive light during the Asian Lantern Festival, an immersive, after-hours event featuring hundreds of handcrafted lanterns, glowing LED lights and breathtaking holiday displays. Enjoy themed treats and family-friendly activities as you stroll through otherworldly landscapes and interactive zones.

Dazzling Nights at Harry P. Leu Gardens (Nov. – Jan.)

Dazzling Nights is an 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.

Festive Holiday Shows, Concerts and Performing Arts (Nov. – Dec.)

Orlando’s local arts scene spreads comfort and joy all year long, and during the holiday season, it shines brighter than ever. Get into the holiday spirit with iconic concerts, national touring acts, local ballet performances and more at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and other local venues.

Holiday Events at the Theme Parks (Nov. – Jan.)

Celebrate the hap-happiest season of all in Orlando’s theme parks, where you’ll find heartwarming entertainment, themed food and drink, special after-hours events and more. Walt Disney World® Resort, SeaWorld® Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort and LEGOLAND® Florida Resort always celebrate the holidays — get your group ready to join in the fun.

Holiday Events at the Orlando’s Resorts (Nov. – Jan.)

Groups meeting late in the year will often find their resort filled with magical decorations, visits from Santa and his merry elves, holiday-themed dining, Hannukah celebrations, poolside cabanas and more jolly activities. Caribe Royale Orlando, Conrad Orlando at Evermore Orlando Resort, Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort, JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, Orlando World Center Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Waldorf Astoria® Orlando and Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort are just few of the few of the resorts getting in on the holiday spirit.