Epcot's Food & Wine Festival Serves Up a 90-Day Run

One of the country's largest food festivals unfolded not over a weekend, but for three months. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival returned to Walt Disney World, running roughly 90 days from late August through November with more than 35 global marketplaces scattered across the park.

The event turned Epcot's promenade into a walk-around tasting tour, pairing small plates and drinks from around the world with returning favorites, plant-based options, and kid-friendly bites. The Eat to the Beat concert series brought live music to the America Gardens Theatre on select nights, while behind-the-scenes displays highlighted the ingredients and growing methods behind the festival's dishes.

A tentpole for fall travel

For Central Florida, the festival is a reliable engine for autumn tourism, filling hotels and drawing repeat visitors during what was once a slower stretch of the year. Its sheer length — a full season rather than a single weekend — has made it a model that other parks and cities have tried to emulate.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog; WDW News Today; AttractionTickets.com.