2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

Pasta-Making Seminar at Food and Wine Festival

It's that time of year again: the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival is just three months away and it's almost time to make your reservations for the special events, seminars, and demonstrations available during those delicious days.

Festival History

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival has been an annual event at Walt Disney World for 15 years. Growing through the years, the festival is now big enough to essentially take over Epcot for six weeks every Fall! Celebrity chefs, sommeliers, cookbook authors, winemakers, and more converge upon Future World and the World Showcase to not only share their knowledge and incredible edibles, but also to teach and give Epcot guests the opportunity to learn things they never thought they would!

What's In It For You?

The Epcot Food and Wine Festival appeals to many people, but we find that heading to Disney World without kids in tow AND loving food make us uniquely ideal patrons! Here are a few of our favorite experiences that range from the inexpensive to the opulent:

International Marketplaces

All around the World Showcase you'll find small booths themed to represent particular countries or regions of the globe. These "international marketplaces," as Disney calls them, also sell small portions of ethnic foods -- just smaller than appetizer size. Each menu item costs between $2-$7, and it's a favorite past time for us to make a meal out of "eating around" at these marketplaces. This year the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival International Marketplaces include newcomers South Korea and Belgium! Check out the 2009 menu and prices to see what kinds of dishes you might like to try this year.

Culinary Demonstrations

These sessions give guests the chance to see how a popular restaurant dish is made. Chefs present in a show kitchen each step of the process, and guests get the chance to sample a small portion of the dish at the end of the presentation. Wine or beer pairings are often included in the seminar. These events will cost $9-$13 this year and require pre-booking. To learn more about these events, check out this page describing the free and low-cost events at the Food and Wine festival this year.

Eat to the Beat! Concerts

Some of your favorite bands might be coming to Epcot this Fall! Disney's Eat to the Beat! Concerts showcase some of the most popular bands from the past 30-40 years, including some of the best of the 80's. This year, the line-up includes new acts Sugar Ray, Air Supply, 38 Special, and Rick Springfield as well as returning favorites like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Billy Ocean, John Secada, and Taylor Dayne.

Tequila Tasting Seminars

Scoping out a little something different for your vacation? This might fit the bill! These Tequila Tasting Seminars were launched at the festival last year and were a huge hit. With an authentic Tequila master leading you through a tasting of three different Tequilas (blanco, reposado, and anejo varieties), you'll not only learn all about how Tequila is made, but also which flavors and signatures you like best. These events do require advance booking; the Tequila Tasting Seminar is $40 per person. You can learn more about this and other signature special events on this Epcot Food and Wine Festival special events page.

Booking for all events is scheduled to open on July 20th at 7am. Call 407-WDW-Fest for details.

What Will You Try?

Have you been to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival before? Are you considering going this year? What have you sampled that you enjoyed; or what will you be trying in the Fall? Join us to discuss over on our Forums, Facebook Page, or Twitter!