Today, we’ve got big news about the 2014 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival!
In 2013, Epcot celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Flower and Garden Festival with a fun new first — Food and Beverage Marketplace Booths! (Read our FULL review of last year’s event here!)
The marketplaces, similar to those you find at the Food and Wine Festival, celebrated fresh flavors from different countries. Many also featured surrounding gardens growing some of the ingredients used in the marketplace dishes!
Well, today, we are excited to bring you news that the food and beverage marketplace booths will be returning for a second year in 2014 during the 21st Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival!
The event, which will span 75 days from March 5 through May 18, 2014, will include around twelve marketplaces, scattered throughout the pavilions of World Showcase.
Last year, guests delighted in tastes from booths like The Cottage, a celebration of flavors inspired by the United Kingdom. Exotic and fun Frushi from the Hanami Booth was a fun, kid-friendly takeoff on sushi (check out the recipe here!) The Smokehouse, with its authentic barbecue smells and tastes, was a great addition to the American Adventure pavilion. And who could forget about that Pineapple Dole Whip, featuring a topper of Siesta Key Spiced Rum?
There’s no word yet on what booths will return and what menu items might change, but we’ll look forward to strolling the all-lit-up topiary gardens at night, sampling the eats.
Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more information on this beautiful — and delicious — event that’s helped Epcot to win the distinction as the “Festival Park”!
What booth from the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival are you hoping will return in 2014? Leave us a comment and tell about your favorites!
Dana says
Oh, how I wish some of those menu items would appear at the Food and Wine!!! But I guess they want you to go to both, right? 😉
Laura says
Great news! I really enjoyed the booths at the 2013 flower and garden festival – especially the pink slushie from France!!! I liked that the booths didn’t take over the world showcase like the food and wine festival (although that is great as well) so it felt like there was more room to walk or sit and eat.
Dave says
The top three that should return are: The Smokehouse, The Smokehouse, and The Smokehouse. Any others are a bonus. 😀
Jenny says
I will be there on May 18th, is everything still going strong on the last day of the festival ? I am so looking forward to being able to enjoy going and trying the food booths. 🙂
Cheryl says
Yeah! Great news! Loved the addition of food added to last years Flower and Garden Festival. It’s fun to try things at each little stand. We enjoyed them all.
Angelina says
Can’t wait to see all the beautiful pictures and read the tasty reviews again! It was around the Flower and Garden Festival last year that I started reading DFB, now i can’t imagine not logging on everyday 🙂 Love DFB!
Brooke says
Dana — Haha! They’re pretty smart that way, I’m thinking. 🙂
Laura — Agreed! It was a really good fit, and I really love the gardens they built around the kiosks.
Dave — I’m gonna guess The Smokehouse was your favorite! It was pretty impressive, and gorgeous at night especially.
Jenny — I can’t vouch for last year’s event, but I know that sometimes during the Food and Wine Festival, supplies can run low the last day or two. I imagine that at least some of the options will still be around, though.
Cheryl — I know! I’m so excited, too! I love F&G, but I thought the Marketplaces really added a lot to the Festival.
Angelina — Yay! I’m SO glad you found us! Keep reading, and keep those comments coming. We LOVE hearing from you!
Mike K says
I’m excited to hear that our annual Mardi Gras vacation to Disney will fall during the opening week of the F&G festival. Louisiana will be well represented, and you know how we feel about good food… Whoaboy!!!
My wife and I are big fans of the F&W festival, which by the way, will be there in five weeks, Yeah!!, so we just love all the booths set up around the World showcase, and sampling all the wonderful food and drink, so I’m really looking forward to sampling the food and drink during the F&G festival. That Smokehouse BBQ booth sounds especially delish.. l love good BBQ!!!!
Can’t wait for the F&W and the F&G festival.. Gotta love it!!!
LouisianaMike
dana says
hello,
can you please tell me the dates of the F & G festival? thank you!
Wendy says
Woo-hoo! I’m so happy to hear that. We loved the festival food booths…the offerings were delicious, and unlike the Food & Wine festival, the lines were negligible. It was wonderful, but I was afraid the lack of crowds at the booths would discourage Disney from continuing the food offerings. I am delighted they’re going to have the booths again. I’ll be looking forward to it!
Brooke says
Dana — March 5 through May 18, 2014.
Chris says
I’m even more excited to go than i was before.
Quick question, i’m going from march 10th-15th, is this a good time to go? Will all of the flowers be in bloom? i’ve never been before and would hate to see everything be mostly green.
Kim says
I will be there a few weeks before it opens, do you know if they do any kind of a soft opening? I would really love to see some of it!
Brooke says
Kim — Sometimes you’ll see the booths open a day early (that’s usually the case for the Food and Wine Festival anyway) but you probably won’t see them opened a few weeks ahead of time, unfortunately.
Tricia says
Hmmm… was thinking about a March birthday trip. This will make it easier to convince the husband.
Valerie says
Yay! My husband and I are going for a week in March for my birthday! We were there last year and LOVED the baked brie from The Cottage, we got it 3 times during our week long stay. My parents loved the shrimp and grits (I forgot the name of the stand up near the front of the world showcase. My husband also loved the $3 Chardonnay from the Florida booth (um, you cannot beat that price in Disney!)
Janice Julian says
My sister goes every fall during the food and wine festival and we go every spring during the flower and garden festival. She gave great raves to the Belgian Waffles in Oct. so I’m hoping they might appear in April when I’m there.
Missy says
Can you buy a pass to try the food at the garden festival?
Brooke says
Missy — You can’t buy a pass, but in years past, you could purchase a Flower and Garden giftcard, and load it with your Outdoor Kitchen budget. 🙂 In the last couple of years, Epcot has offered smaller swipe cards on bracelets that make frequent purchases easier. Of course, MagicBands will likely make things easier too for some guests.