Celebrating Culinary Adventures from September 25 - November 8, 2009
In 2009, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, presented by Vanity Fair, makes its grand return, transforming the theme park into a destination filled with the world's tastiest regional foods and drinks, rockin' concerts, and unforgettable sensory experiences. Guests will delight in tantalizing new additions — from the robust and exotic flavors of Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok to world-class performers like Richard Marx, Billy Ocean and Vanessa Carlton... who will take the stage at the Festival for the very first time!
You can even pick up a Food & Wine themed Disney Gift Card - a fast, easy and secure way to carry your money on your wrist, and simply the best way to experience the Festival. Just load or reload the card with any amount you desire, swipe — and you're spared the trouble of getting out your credit card or cash any time you want to pay for food, merchandise and more. Get it throughout Epcot at ticket booths, Guest Relations, the Festival Welcome Center and a variety of locations in the theme park where food and merchandise are sold.
The thrills at the ultimate dining, drinking and music event don't stop. Discover the many taste adventures that await:
Marketplaces & Promenade
More than 25 international marketplace kiosks are serving up tapas-sized portions of regional specialties
. Explore countries on 6 continents through their most mouthwatering foods and beverages!
Musical entertainment pairs perfectly with culinary fun during the nightly Eat to the Beat! Concert Series. Enjoy a varied lineup of classic rock, soul, R&B, jazz and funk hit-makers, from Boyz II Men to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy!
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Dates: September 25 - September 27
Signature Song: "You & Me & The Bottle Makes
Three Tonight"
Richard Marx
Dates: September 28 - September 29
Signature Song: "Hold On To The Nights"
Starship, Starring Mickey Thomas
Dates: September 30 - October 3
Signature Song: "We Built This City"
En Vogue
Dates: October 4 - October 6
Signature Song: "Free Your Mind"
Better Than Ezra
Dates: October 7 - October 8
Signature Song: "Good"
Sister Hazel
Dates: October 9 - October 11
Signature Song: "All For You"
Kool & The Gang
Dates: October 12 - October 13
Signature Song: "Celebration"
Spyro Gyra
Dates: October 14 - October 16
Signature Song: "Morning Dance"
Jon Secada
Dates: October 17 - October 18
Signature Song: "Just Another Day"
Sister Sledge
Dates: October 19 - October 20
Signature Song: "We Are Family"
Vanessa Carlton
Dates: October 21 - October 22
Signature Song: "A Thousand Miles"
Taylor Dayne
Dates: October 23 - October 25
Signature Song: "Tell It To My Heart"
Boyz II Men
Dates: October 26 - October 28
Signature Song: "Motownphilly"
John Waite
Dates: October 29 - October 31
Signature Song: "Missing You"
Taylor Hicks
Dates: November 1 - November 2
Signature Song: "Do I Make You Proud"
Billy Ocean
Dates: November 3 - November 5
Signature Song: "Caribbean Queen"
Los Lobos
Dates: November 6 - November 8
Signature Song: "La Bamba"
Seminars and Demonstrations
Learn from the masters with the Festival's exciting schedule of seminars and demonstrations featuring the fresh ingredients and secret techniques that go into some of the world's most extraordinary dishes and drinks.
Special Festival Experiences
A special series of programs and experiences brings you renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers. Wine and beer tastings let you sip from the best in the world while delicious experiences such as the Party for the Senses dish up unforgettable tastes.
Festival Welcome Center
The Festival Welcome Center hosts wine seminars and book signings and offers sparkling champagnes and wines at the Wonder Bar. It's also the place to pick up Festival keepsakes, including limited edition Festival pins and cookbooks. And while you're there, be sure to check out the lists of famous personalities who will be appearing plus the times of their scheduled signings.
An impressive and diverse list of breweries, wineries, chefs, speakers and industry professionals are participating in and sponsoring this year's Festival. Discover the guests and partners who help make the event possible.
Festival Shopping
Before and after the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, you can find merchandise that celebrates the 14th annual Food & Wine Festival. While you're in the park, visit the Festival Welcome Center, which offers commemorative gifts, specialty kitchen items, a book shop and a wine bar. You can also visit the shops located around World Showcase Promenade for additional Festival merchandise offerings and artisans.
It is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 26 through Nov. 9at Walt Disney World Resort.
Epcot guests can explore the nuances of great wines from around the world and sample blissful bites from dozens of countries against the backdrop paintings inspired by food and wine. The paintings are served up from the palettes of artists in China, Italy, France and beyond as a fitting accompaniment to first-rate food, wine and beer that spotlight regional experiences from Turkey to Chile to Scandinavia during the six-week-long festival.
More than 25 international marketplaces serve tapas-sized portions of regional specialties and recommended wines and beers available at each kiosk make for picture-perfect pairings. Exciting new marketplaces this year include Oklahoma, Dominican Republic and Peru.
Meanwhile, daily seminars offer complimentary tastes of wine, beer and food from around the world. In addition, a series of special culinary programs features a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.
"Our festival theme, 'Tastefully Inspired,' is an opportunity to emphasize the relationship between two expressions of art -- the canvas and the table," says Nora Carey, festival manager. "We're showcasing great artwork from around the world that celebrates food and wine in many scenes. While the theme is an inspirational springboard for our culinary talent, it also lets us tell stories to our guests that will surprise, enlighten and embolden them to think about food in a new way."
The Epcot festival has grown dramatically, attracting a diverse audience of more than one million guests each fall -- from wine connoisseurs and epicures to neophytes primed to boost their wine IQs. Beer aficionados can raise their steins at several tasting locations, including Germany's Biergarten, which specialize in brews from light to dark.
"There's no other festival environment in the world like ours," Carey says. "From the picturesque World Showcase Lagoon to the authentic architecture that showcases many cultures, it's an ideal backdrop for the exceptional culinary and wine-related talent of Walt Disney World Resort and for the great celebrity chefs and wine connoisseurs who join us each year."
Musical entertainment pairs well with culinary fun during the nightly Eat to the Beat! concert series featuring a varied lineup of classic rock, oldies, jazz and funk hit-makers. Concerts are performed three times each evening at America Gardens Theatre. This year's scheduled lineup includes appearances by Jon Secada, Little Richard, Sheena Easton, David Cassidy, The Village People, Chubby Checker & the Wildcats and 10 additional crowd-pleasing acts.
Other festival highlights include:
Included with Epcot Admission:
Wine and beer seminars, cooking demonstrations, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary exhibits and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.
Special Programming by Reservation:
The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting, Food and Wine Pairings at Epcot restaurants, Exquisite Evenings at Epcot dinners, Regional Feasts, Epcot Wine Schools, Cheese Tastings, Sweet Sundays and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate admission.
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last updated: 9/2/2009