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The Latest Events, Festivals & Florida Secrets

Here, for the benefit of anyone who likes to enjoy some of the local colour on their holiday, is a listing of regular annual events in Central Florida which we recommend taking advantage of if you get the chance.

January

Blue Spring Manatee Festival (last weekend in January, www.themanateefestival.com): beautiful Blue Spring State Park is home to the wonderful manatee, and special celebrations are staged around their seasonal migrations, with craft shows, park tours and interpretive programmes. In Orange City (off Exit 118 on Interstate 4 or I-4). The festival only lasts for the weekend, but it’s worth seeing the manatees at any time of year.

February

33rd Annual Arts Festival in Mount Dora is a two-day festival (first Saturday and Sunday in February) that is so popular it draws over 300,000 visitors. Enjoy row after row of covered art stalls featuring artists from around the country selling finest works (oil paintings, clay, pottery, photography, water colors, sculptures, etc), a children’s tent with face painting and opportunities for creating their own art, plus live regional music. www.mountdora.com

Florida State Fair (10 days in mid-February, www.floridastatefair.com): this 103-year-old (in 2007) fair just outside Tampa (right on I-4) draws almost half a million people to its mix of fairground rides, art, crafts, livestock and live entertainment and offers a huge variety of dance, contests and competitions. A real Florida showcase.

Silver Spurs Rodeo (a three-day fest, usually in mid-February and third weekend in October, www.silverspursrodeo.com): a twice-yearly celebration of an original American sport, this is held at the new Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee and features some top quality events, plus associated crafts and activities (just off the eastern end of Highway 192).

SeaWorld’s Bud and BBQ Fest (usually two weekends in February, www.seaworld.com): live country music, mountains of bodacious barbecue food and good ol’ fashioned Southern hospitality mark out this SeaWorld ‘extra’ for all regular park guests.

PRO SPOT:Universal’s Mardi Gras party dates are hugely popular with the locals, hence they draw a big crowd each Saturday. If you don’t fancy being part of the ‘party crowd,’ these days are definitely to be avoided. However, it does make for a great fun addition to the park’s usual rides and shows. If you want to see the big concert finale, you need to be positioned to see the stage BEFORE the final parade of the evening, as the crowds are often hard to negotiate otherwise.

Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway: (mid-February) the first Daytona 500 race was held in February, 1959 and it’s been the most watched motor sport in the world ever since (when you combine on-site spectators and television audiences). Dubbed ‘The Great American Race’, it is a must-see for racing fans.

March

ESPN The Weekend (one weekend, in early Feb 29-March 2, 2008, but variable): lovers of American sports should definitely head for Disney’s Hollywood Studios for this fun-packed weekend each year, with star athletes, ESPN commentators and interactive experiences to enjoy. Have your autograph books handy!

Baseball Spring Training (various dates starting in late February throughout March, www.disneyworldsports.com): sports fans should definitely check out the opportunity to see the pre-season games of the mighty Atlanta Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports venue. This entertaining, family-orientated spectator series is the only serious baseball in Orlando and is surprisingly good fun.

Plant City Strawberry Festival (10 days in early March, www.flstrawberryfestival.com): one of the most unusual and fun events – a fully grown country fair based on the local produce, but with concerts, shows, exhibitions and parades, plus lots of activities for kids. One of Florida’s great social events (off Exit 19 on I-4).

Daytona Beach Bike Week (early March, www.officialbikeweek.com): a celebration of all things two-wheeled and mechanical, with races at Daytona Speedway, concerts, parades and street festivals.

Sidewalk Arts Festival (three days, usually mid-March, www.wpsaf.org): Winter Park, the chic suburb just north of Orlando, is home to one of America’s most prestigious fine arts festivals, with three days of art, food, music and children’s events, 9am–5pm.

St Patrick’s Day (March 17):This major Irish shindig is commonly marked by parties and other festivities in the US, and Orlando is no exception. Pleasure Island becomes tinged with the Emerald Isle for the night, and you can expect a lot of live music and party style at the new Raglan Road Irish-themed bar and restaurant at Downtown Disney. Orlando boasts a number of other Irish bars in the downtown area and Winter Park – and they are not usually hard to find!

Antique Boat Festival at Mount Dora- Mt. Dora again takes center stage in the Florida Festival calendar as more than 150 classic and historic boats are paraded and exhibited, with dozens of associate stalls, side shows and antiques events, spread over 3 days in late March.

April

Lakeland Fun ’n Sun (one week in mid April, www.sun-n-fun.org): the annual aviation spectacular in Lakeland, with museums, vintage planes, aerobatics and much, much more. One of the biggest in the USA. (Off Exit 27 on I-4.)

St George’s Day (April 23): no, we haven’t taken leave of our senses, but England’s Saint’s Day IS observed with some special festivities at the Orlando George & Dragon pub on International Drive (just south of Wet ’n Wild).

International Flower & Garden Festival (early-April to early June; www.disneyworld.com): Epcot looks good at the best of times, but the spring sees it in full bloom – for an international flower festival that is part of the regular daily admission. There are spectacular flower displays and topiaries throughout the park, plus special activities and play areas for children and seminars and lectures for keen gardeners. Extra entertainment includes a big-name concert series at the American Gardens Theater, with special guests performing three times a day.

Mount Dora Sailboat Regatta at the Mount Dora Yacht Club is the oldest sailing regatta in Florida. There is no charge to watch the event. www.mountdora.com

May

Star Wars Weekends (on select dates, usually weekends, in June): Disney-MGM Studios, complete with its fab Star Tours ride, is the home for some real Jedi fun and games with this annual convention of fans, stars from the films and Disney characters, with extra games and activities for kids, including ‘light-saber classes’!

Zellwood Corn Festival (usually the last weekend in May, www.zellwoodcornfestival.com): this is another offbeat but fun offering, with the festival featuring corn-eating contests, carnival rides, live entertainment, games, arts and crafts. (25 miles/40km north-west of Orlando, take Route 436 to Route 411.)

Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival: (see April)

June

Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival (see April)

Star Wars Weekend at MGM Studios (through mid-June; see May)

July

Independence Day, July 4: this huge national holiday is celebrated throughout the country, but watch out for big annual special events at Lake Eola (downtown Orlando), Lakefront Park (Kissimmee) and the suburb of Winter Park and the charming town of Mount Dora, as well as the main theme parks and Disney’s town of Celebration (with fireworks, food and other entertainment). All the parks stage special fireworks and other big set-piece extravaganzas, with SeaWorld, Universal and the Magic Kingdom among the best. The all-new Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven is also notable for some spectacular celebrations.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports: Morning and afternoon training sessions are held daily, usually beginning mid-July through August. Check www.buccaneers.com for dates (which are usually announced roughly a month or so in advance)

August

Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Training Camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports: Morning and afternoon training sessions held daily, starting in July.

September

International Food & Wine Festival: (usually end of September to mid-November, www.disneyworld.com) Epcot’s second big annual festival takes place in the autumn and sees the World Showcase area dedicated to an amazing array of gastronomic delights. All the international pavilions (plus a couple of special guests) take part in presenting various regional food and drink specialities which allow regular park goers to eat their way round the world for a small fee at the numerous kiosks around the Showcase. Those who enjoy the odd tipple or three are especially well catered for! There is also a special free rock ‘n roll concert series, Eat to the Beat, daily at the American Gardens Theater at the top of World Showcase.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Select nights (including all weekends) starting late September through the first couple of days in November. Immensely popular, this event is best booked in advance. 30 and 31 October sell out quickly.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Partyis the family-friendly version of a Halloween event, held on select nights and weekends in mid-September through the beginning of November, and is extremely popular with the tourists and locals, making it imperative you book tickets in advance. 31 October sells out quickly.

Phobia at Cypress Gardens has enough scare factor to appeal to teens and adults, with special ‘fright friendly’ area suitable for younger children. Select evenings from late September though 31 October, free with admission.

October

Biketoberfest (for three days each October, www.biketoberfest.com): the companion long weekend to Bike Week in March, this Daytona Beach festival (which also has some companion events in Orlando) draws more than 10,000 two and three-wheeled enthusiasts, so it should either be avoided or embraced, depending on your enthusiasm for motorbikes.

Silver Spurs Rodeo (a three-day fest, usually in mid-February and third weekend in October, www.silverspursrodeo.com): a twice-yearly celebration of an original American sport, this is held at the new Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee and features some top quality events, plus associated crafts and activities (just off the eastern end of Highway 192).

Howl-O-Scream is Busch Garden’s answer to Halloween Horror Nights and is every bit as terrifying. A separate ticket is required for the event, which runs for 16 select nights in October.

Halloween is big business in the U.S. and the theme parks take full advantage of the passion for all things scary and not so scary. The best Halloween events are highlighted on our Halloween In Orlando page..

Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival: (see September)

November

PRO SPOT:While the Thanksgiving holiday sees huge crowds, if you are able to arrive the week AFTER the main Thanksgiving weekend you will benefit from a really quiet period at all the theme parks. Queues are often at their shortest and, while park hours may also be shorter, you will find a lot of Christmas elements getting under way (notably in Walt Disney World) but without the big crowds they draw from mid-December onwards.

Light Up Mount Dora, the annual switch-on of more than 2 million Christmas lights throughout the town of Mount Dora, which is 40 miles north-west of downtown Orlando, brings the season in under in high-wattage style.

Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival: (see September)

December

Christmas (throughout December, but peaking from Dec 22-Jan 2): Orlando’s crowds peak at this time of year, and there are festive elements virtually everywhere you turn, with special parades, parties and even fireworks on New Year’s Eve. The most notable elements can be found on Christmas and New Year in Orlando

Mount Dora really knows how to put on a party and their Christmas Parade and Boat Parade festivities are the best, on land at 1pm and on the lake at 7pm.

Want to hear what other ATD members have to say about Orlando’s festivals? Check out our forums!