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The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is one of my personal favorites. Thinking of spring and warmer weather brightens my day right up. From March 1 through July 5, guests can experience the beauty and magic of this “blooming good” festival.

Topiary of the Three Caballeros at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Will kids enjoy it? Should families make it part of their vacation? I’ve got all the details in this guide to Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2023.

Ultimate Guide to Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot is becoming Walt Disney World’s premiere park for festivals. One of the most magical is the spring Flower and Garden Festival.

Blue butterfly garden decoration.

This year’s festival will be stunning. From scrumptious outdoor kitchens to beautifully manicured topiaries to that incredible Disney magic we’ve all come to know and expect, it will undoubtedly be a feast for the senses.

Each section of this post is broken down into these categories:

  • What is Epcot Flower and Garden Festival?
  • What to Eat at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
  • Epcot Flower and Garden Festival for Kids
  • Who is Playing the Garden Rocks Concert Series?

I hope this informative, lengthy post will leave you feeling prepared and that this guide to Epcot Flower and Garden Festival visit will be helpful.

What is Epcot Flower and Garden Festival?

First, let’s begin with an explanation. You may be curious about what it is if you’ve never attended this festival. Do you need to be a gardener? Do you need to have a green thumb? Not at all! An appreciation for natural beauty and an appetite for good food are the only things you need to have a great time.

Colorful sign posted for Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

At the festival, you will see the following:

  • Outdoor kitchens offering delectable bites and libations
  • Dozens of world-renowned, Disney-themed topiaries
  • Breathtaking garden spaces and wildlife habitats
  • Inspirational exhibits
  • Outdoor entertainment

Sarah’s Tip: Don’t forget to grab your “Garden Passport” at the entrance to the World Showcase to plan your day most effectively.

Dazzling Topiaries

Honestly, the star(s) of the show are the plethora of displays throughout Epcot park. From delightful characters to stunning floral displays, this festival has no shortage of eye candy.

I’m partial to the flower beds around the water features near the bridge to the World Showcase. It’s stunning to see the bright colors and hard work that went into planning the design and planting those flowers!

Flower beds around the pond in front of the World Showcase bridge at Epcot.

What to Eat at the Festival

Now to my favorite part of this guide: the food!

Unlike the plethora of kiosks at the Food & Wine Festival, there are just over a dozen spots at Flower and Garden. These are the 2023 Outdoor Kitchens:

  • Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market (Germany)
  • Brunchcot (near Test Track)
  • Epcot Farmer’s Feast (near Test Track)
  • Fleur de Lys (France; this is where you can find “La Vie en Rose” martini slush)
La Vie en Rose Slush from Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.
  • Florida Fresh (near Disney Traders)
  • Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
  • Hanami (Japan; this is where the famous “Frushi” is found)
Frushi dish from Japan in Epcot.
  • Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico)
  • Lotus House (China)
  • Magnolia Terrace (American Adventure)
  • Northern Bloom (Canada)
  • Pineapple Promenade (Refreshment Port; this is where the popular “Violet Lemonade” is found)
  • Primavera Kitchen (Italy)
  • Tangerine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco)
  • La Isla Fresca (between Morocco and France)
  • The Honey Bee-stro (located near the front of the World Showcase)
  • Trowel & Trellis (near Port of Entry, featuring all plant-based foods)
  • The Land Cart (near The Land Pavilion)
  • The Citrus Blossom (Odyssey Pavilion; find the souvenir Orange Bird sipper here)
Orange Bird drink sipper at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Use that festival passport to mark the ones you like, the ones you don’t like, and the ones you want to try next time!

Sarah’s Tip: Outdoor Kitchen portions are small. You can snack around the festival, but don’t be surprised if you fill up fast! As a result, if you truly want to sample everything, find a buddy to split items with so you don’t have a stomach ache later!

Festival Activities for Kids

Next, let’s talk about the kids. What can families do at this festival? Tons! Even in a not-so-typical year, there are several activities to choose from.

Butterfly Landing

Located near Imagination! in World Nature, enjoy seeing butterflies up close and personal. Learn about the butterfly’s life cycle and enjoy being immersed in its habitat.

Family-Friendly Garden

Play structures encourage kids to jump, play, and climb. Every year, this area has a different theme, and for 2023 the play area is camp-themed.

Explore Around the World Showcase

The ever-popular scavenger hunt, Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration, returns this year.

Topiary at Epcot featuring the lions and Rafiki of The Lion King movie.

From March 1-July 5, have fun with “Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration.” Guests can purchase a $9.99 map and sticker set and look for Spike the Bee on flowers all over the World Showcase.

When you’ve found them all, show your completed map to a Cast Member at the store of purchase to receive a prize!

Tinker Bell topiary at UK Pavilion

Sarah’s Tip: If you don’t want to return to the store, ask the Cast Member for the prize when you purchase the map to present to your child during the scavenger hunt.

Egg-Stravaganza Scavenger Hunt

For a limited time, beginning March 13, search for Disney-themed eggs hidden throughout the World Showcase. Purchase a map and sticker set for $9.99, and complete the map for a surprise at the end of your day.

Flower & Garden Festival Entertainment

Finally, the adults in the group probably want to know what they can do during the festival. I love that Epcot festivals bring music, activities, and the arts together.

Garden Rocks Concert Series Returns for 2023

This year, the Garden Rocks concert series is returning with new and repeat musical acts. These shows are included in your Epcot admission, but if you want reserved seating, consider booking a Garden Rocks Dining Package.

Mickey and Minnie topiaries at World Showcase entrance

The dining package includes options to eat lunch or dinner at a specific restaurant and guaranteed seating per person. Concert time will be assigned at the time of booking. Participating restaurants include:

  • Biergarten Restaurant (Germany)
  • Coral Reef Restaurant (near The Living Seas Pavilion)
  • Garden Grill Restaurant (inside The Land Pavilion)
  • Rose & Crown Dining Room (UK Pavilion)

Seating is guaranteed for the assigned show, 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, or 8 pm, but seats in the reserved section are not assigned.

Musical Acts Performing at Garden Rocks

The lineup for the 2023 Garden Rocks show has lots of artists and genres to choose from. Check out the list below:

  • Glass Ceiling-March 1 & 2
  • Journey Former Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri-March 3 & 4
  • Daughtry-March 5 & 6
  • Audio Exchange-March 7-9
  • Tommy DeCarlo-March 10 & 11
  • Smash Mouth-March 12 & 13
  • Element-March 14-16
  • Mike DelGuidice-March 17 & 18
  • Blue Oyster Cult – NEW!-March 19 & 20
  • The Vybe-March 21-23
  • Berlin – March 24 & 25
  • The Pointer Sisters-March 26 & 27
  • The Female Collective-March 28-30
  • Luis Figueroa – NEW!-March 31
  • Piso 21 – NEW!-April 1
  • Melina Leon-April 3
  • Epic-April 4-6
  • STARSHIP Featuring Mickey Thomas-April 7 & 8
  • Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles-April 9 & 10
  • Foreigners Journey-April 11-13
  • Blue October-April 14 & 15
  • Switchfoot – NEW!-April 16 & 17
  • Evolution: Motown-April 18-20
  • A Flock of Seagulls-April 21 & 22
  • Jo Dee Messina-April 23 & 24
  • Hooligans-April 25-27
  • Ambrosia with Peter Beckett, The Voice of Player-April 28 & 29
  • Kool & the Gang, April 30 & May 1
  • The Finesse Party Band-May 2-4
  • Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone-May 5-8
  • Latin Ambition-May 9-11
  • The Orchestra starring former members of ELO-May 12-15
  • 506 Crew: May 16-18
  • A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce- NEW!-May 19 & 20
  • Casting CrownsNEW!– May 21 & 22
  • M-80’s-May 23-25
  • Jason Scheff, longtime lead singer of Chicago– New!-May 26 & 27
  • Rick Springfield-May 28 & 29
  • Champagne Orchestra-May 30-June 1
  • Plain White T’s-June 2-5
  • Glass Ceiling-June 6-8
  • The Spinners-June 9 & 10
  • The Commodores-June 11 & 12
  • Element-June 13-15
  • Vertical Horizon-June 16 & 17
  • Tony Orlando-June 18 & 19
  • Foreigners Journey-June 20-22
  • Simple Plan-June 23-26
  • Epic-June 27-29
  • Living Colour-June 30 & July 1
  • Wang Chung-July 2 & 3
  • Evolution: Motown-July 4 & 5

Sarah’s Tip: All of the entertainment opportunities are included in the price of your Epcot admission.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is the park’s longest-running festival. See it for yourself until July 5, 2023!