Epcot International Food & Wine Festival returns this fall, celebrating 20 years of tantalizing taste buds.
The event runs from Sept. 25-Nov. 16, 2015.
The 2015 festival, presented by Chase, will welcome celebrity chefs, debut new marketplace tastes from around the world and celebrate guests’ favorite dining traditions.
New this year, Chef Remy of the Disney animated film Ratatouille will invite guests to join a culinary scavenger hunt. Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak invites kids of all ages to join a World Showcase scavenger hunt for little Remy statuettes hidden around the park’s World Showcase. Maps, stickers and prizes are involved.
Growing in scope each year since 1996 and lauded by the Travel Channel as one of America’s top food festivals, the 53-day Epcot event features inspired bites and sips from around the world at more than 25 outdoor marketplaces, nightly Eat to the Beat concerts of many musical genres, signature dinners and featured tasting events.
This fall, the 20th festival will debut dishes like Pepper Bacon Mac ‘n Cheese at the Farm Fresh Marketplace and refreshing sips like the Scottish Citrus Thistle at the Scotland Marketplace. Culinary icons like Cat Cora, Jamie Deen and John Ash will entertain foodies and inspire their palates at new and returning premium events that include weekly Party for the Senses grand tastings in October.
Festival guests can pair wines and beers with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the World Showcase Promenade and earn stamps on their complimentary festival passports. In Future World, the popular Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog returns for a fourth year so that families can discover the cranberry’s rich agricultural heritage and learn fun facts about the tart fruits.
The Eat to the Beat Concert will also be returning, featuring the following acts performing at the America Gardens Theatre stage:
- David Cook – 9/25 – 9/27
- Wilson Phillips – 9/28 – 9/29
- Christopher Cross – 9/30 – 10/1
- Starship – 10/2 – 10/4
- Smash Mouth – 10/5 – 10/7
- The Pointer Sisters – 10/8 – 10/9
- .38 Special – 10/10 – 10/11
- Rick Springfield – 10/12 – 10/13
- Sugar Ray – 10/14 – 10/16
- S.O.S. Band – 10/17 – 10/18
- Air Supply – 10/19 – 10/21
- Fuel – 10/22 – 10/23
- Tiffany – 10/24 – 10/25
- Dennis DeYoung – 10/26 – 10/28
- Jo Dee Messina – 10/29 – 10/30
- Everclear – 10/31 – 11/1
- Boyz II Men – 11/2 – 11/4
- Sister Hazel – 11/5 – 11/6
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – 11/7 – 11/9
- Hanson – 11/10 – 11/12
- Maxi Priest – 11/13 – 11/14
- Chaka Khan – 11/15 – 11/16
Also featured this year:
New marketplace menus debut and chefs celebrate festival favorites – Among many dishes set to debut are Seared Venison Loin with Wild Mushroom Ragout and Kumara Dumpling at the New Zealand Marketplace and Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Peppers, Onions and Snap Peas at the Australia Marketplace.
Celebrity chefs dazzle – Renowned chef and cookbook author John Ash, who participated in the inaugural Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in 1996, will return to celebrate the 20th milestone year. Other notable chefs including Cat Cora, Robert Irvine, Jamie Deen, Rock Harper, Kenny Gilbert and Buddy Valastro will cook for Epcot guests and share their culinary know-how during demos and premium events.
Festival Center gets cookin’ – Guests can join culinary demonstrations, beverage seminars and mixology seminars daily for a nominal fee. More festival fun will include the complimentary Back to Basics weekend series featuring epicurean tips and tricks from the pros.
Chase Lounge offers perks – Anyone who owns or wants to own a Chase debit or credit card will find complimentary refreshments and interactive fun at the Chase Lounge at American Adventure.
Premium events including the new “French Family Meal Traditions” lunch on Fridays and Sundays; new “Rockin’ Burger Block Party” on select dates; and new beverage events to include “Exploring Wines from 1996 to Now” that salutes the festival’s 20th year.Back to Basics series, Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog, World Showcase Scavenger Hunt, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.
