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Epcot International Food & Wine Festival facts for kids
| Epcot International Food & Wine Festival | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Begins | July 14, 2022 |
| Ends | November 19, 2022 |
| Frequency | Yearly |
| Venue | Epcot |
| Location(s) | Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1995 |
| Activity | Alcoholic drinks, Food Tasting, Musical Concerts, Cooking demonstrations |
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is a super fun yearly event at Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort! It takes place in Bay Lake, Florida. Imagine a huge party where you can try amazing foods and drinks from all over the world.
The festival usually starts in mid-July and runs until mid-November. Special booths are set up around the World Showcase. Each booth offers unique foods and drinks that represent different countries.
The festival started in 1995. Over the years, the activities, themes, and sponsors have changed. This keeps the festival fresh and exciting!
You can enter the festival with your regular Epcot park ticket. However, you need to buy the food and drinks separately. There are also cool activities like concerts, book signings, and cooking shows. Some special events might need a separate ticket.
Contents
History of the Festival
The idea for this amazing festival came from George Kalogridis. He was the president of Walt Disney World Resort. The very first Epcot International Food and Wine Festival happened in 1996.
This first event lasted for 30 days. It ran from September 28 to October 27. It replaced a smaller wine festival that used to happen for just one weekend. The new festival had food booths, a gourmet food market, and cooking demonstrations. You could also enjoy wine sampling and see famous chefs.
In 2016, Disney California Adventure in California started its own Food & Wine Festival. It happens on weekends during April.
Festival Highlights: 2014
The 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival was a huge success! Reports said that visitors enjoyed 100,000 dessert portions. They also had 360,000 beer servings and 300,000 wine pours. About 1.5 million small food samples were eaten! People from over 25 countries came to visit.
This festival ran for 53 days. It was the longest festival in its 19-year history at that time.
There were many food booths in 2014. Some popular ones included Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, and Japan. You could also find booths for Ireland, Italy, Mexico, and New Zealand. Each booth offered unique tastes from around the world.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series 2014
The Eat to the Beat Concert Series is a popular part of the festival. It features live music at the America Gardens Theater. Performers play three times a day. These concerts are free with your Epcot admission.
In 2014, some of the bands included The Pointer Sisters, Hanson, Air Supply, and Sugar Ray. Other performers were Richard Marx, Billy Ocean, and Boyz II Men. It was a great chance to see famous musicians!
Festival Highlights: 2015
The 2015 festival ran from September 25 to November 16. New booths were added, like the Cheese Studio and the Wine Studio. There was also a Dominican Republic booth. The popular Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog returned.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series 2015
The 2015 concert lineup brought back many favorites. These included Dennis DeYoung, Starship with Mickey Thomas, and The Pointer Sisters. New artists like Tiffany and Chaka Khan also performed.
Festival Highlights: 2016
The 2016 festival took place from September 14 to November 14. New booths included the Chocolate Studio and the Islands of the Caribbean. The Wine Studio and Cheese Studio combined into the Wine & Dine Studio.
For the first time, the festival also hosted special events at some Disney resorts. These included Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series 2016
The 2016 concert series featured many returning bands. These included Dennis DeYoung, Fuel, Sugar Ray, and Wilson Phillips. New bands like Wang Chung and Plain White T’s also joined the fun.
Festival Highlights: 2017 and 2018
The 2017 festival ran from August 31 to November 13. The 2018 festival was held from August 30 to November 12.
In 2018, many new things were added. These included a Character Dance Party and Sunday Brunch with the Chef. There was also a Junior Chef Kitchen. The festival had 36 food and drink booths.
Popular events like celebrity chef demonstrations returned. Chefs like Robert Irvine and Alex Guarnaschelli shared their cooking tips. There were also seminars about cheese, drinks, and baking.
Eat to the Beat Concert Series 2018
The 2018 concert series featured popular bands from the 80s to the 2000s. Shows happened nightly at the America Gardens Theater. These concerts were free with Epcot admission.
Some of the featured bands included Tiffany, Plain White T's, Sugar Ray, and Air Supply. Other popular groups were Sister Hazel, 98 Degrees, and Hanson.
Festival Highlights: 2019 and 2020
The 24th festival in 2019 ran for a record 87 days! It started on August 29 and ended on November 23. The "Party for the Senses" event was very popular. There were also many food booths and new seminars.
The 25th festival in 2020 started on July 15. Due to changes at Walt Disney World, the Eat to the Beat concert series did not happen that year.
Images for kids
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Dennis DeYoung performing during the 2014 Eat to the Beat Concert Series.