Welcome to our annual Orlando event guide! Orlando is host to numerous exciting events year-round.

Remember that new events may be added every year and that occasionally special events are cancelled or rescheduled. So, to avoid disappointment, be sure to telephone in advance to the event's organizers, or the Greater Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau to verify locations, dates and times.

JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC

January

A Palette for the Senses – Grand Wine Tasting and Silent Auction
Don’t miss this 4th annual display of culinary talent, at the Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 N. Mills Ave., mid-January. The $55. admission, which includes a tasting of an exceptional selection of wines, is well worth it. Call (407) 896-4231 for more information.

Hurston Festival of Arts and Humanities
The town of Eatonville, a few miles outside of Orlando, celebrates its ties to the Harlem Renaissance, at the end of January, with public readings by famous poets, theatrical programs, music and food, at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, 227 E. Kennedy Blvd. Call (407) 647-3307 for more information.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights
Come to Disney World’s MGM Studios for the annual holiday lights display. Over 5 million bulbs will be used in this remarkable holiday event, through the first week in January. Call (407) 824-321 for more information.

February

Manatee Migration
Manatee sightings are most likely in the winter months. Take one of the excursions, throughout the month of February, to watch these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. Call (850) 488-5607 for more information.

Mount Dora Arts Festival
The entire town becomes an artists’ colony during the first week of February. Explore the galleries, auctions and performances of every visual and graphic art form, as well as the dramatic arts, in a festival sponsored by the Mount Dora Center for the Arts. Artists, photographers and film makers from all over the world will participate. Call (352) 383-0880 for more information.

Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection
See the largest collection of Tiffany’s work in the world, at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, 445 N. Park Avenue, Winter Park. The collection is on display throughout the year. Call (407) 645-5311 for more information.

March

Central Florida Boat Show
During the first week in March, the Orange County Convention Center hosts the annual exposition of boat dealers and boating enthusiasts. All types of water craft will be displayed. Call (407) 295-3247 for more information.

Spring Flower Festival
Visit Cypress Gardens, beginning mid-March, for one of the best displays of topiary and flower arrangements in the country. Stroll around peacocks and swans at this pre-Easter festival. Call (800) 282-2123 for more information.

Central Florida Fair
Children’s petting zoo, rides, food, a circus midway with all the trimmings await you and your family, beginning in early March, at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, just outside of Orlando. Call (407) 295-3247 for more information.

April

Artistry of the Earth – Animal Kingdom Celebrates Earth Day
Butterfly collections, photos, paintings and African furniture highlight this exhibit at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, around the third week of April. Stay at the new lodge, which offers panoramic views of hundreds of free-roaming animals on this 33-acre savannah. Call (407) 824-4321 for more information.

International Migratory Bird Day / Disney Wilderness Preserve
In mid-April, tour the 12,000-acre migratory bird preserve, stretching across Osceola and Polk counties, and celebrate the return of Central and South American, Mexican and Caribbean birds to North America. The guided bird watch begins at 7:30 AM, followed by breakfast. Tickets are $15. for members of the Preserve, and $20. for non-members. Pre-registration is required. Call (407) 682-3664 for more information.

Wine Tasting
Come to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market in mid-April for the annual tasting of local wines, sponsored by the Orlando Science Center. Proceeds benefit the Center’s programs. Call (407) 677-9119 for more information.

May

Cinco De Mayo Festival
CityWalk becomes a Mexican street festival on May 5. Enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine from the neighboring restaurants, street dancing and roving Mariachis. Call (407) 224-WALK for more information.

Clydesdale Preparation
On May 28, the famous Clydesdale horses will have open house. You can watch them being groomed, dressed and hitched to their red wagon for their twice a day walks through the park. Call (407) 351-3600 for more information.

Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival
Corn-eating contests, live music, amusement rides and crafts, a picnic lunch, and all the corn you can eat, are included with your ticket price. Last year, around 30,000 people ate over 200,000 ears of corn, in Zellwood at 4253 Ponkan Road, just off U.S. 441, about a half-hour north of Orlando. Call (407) 886-0014 for more information.

June

Cape Canaveral
Check with the Center to see if there is a launching whenever you are in the area. Launches and shuttle landings are scheduled throughout the year, and most are open to the public. Call (407) 452-2121 for more information.

Florida Film Festival
The Enzian Theater, 1300 South Orlando Ave., in Maitland, hosts an annual festival of independent American and European films, sponsored by Universal Studios, beginning the second week in June. Call (407) 629-8587 for more information.

July

Independence Day Celebrations, Walt Disney World Resort, Magic Kingdom
Come early and visit with historical characters walking around in period costumes, enjoy live bands throughout the day, and complete your evening with the annual evening “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks around the Cinderella Castle. Call (407) 824-4321 for more information.

Warren Park Sand Volley Ball
Get some sun and exercise, meet new friends, at one of the public, free co-ed matches on Thursday afternoons, 3 PM – 3:30 PM, and Saturday mornings, 10 AM – 12 PM, at 3406 Warren Park Drive, Orlando. Call (407) 858-3289 for more information.

Carillon Recital
Beginning July 1, the Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, presents a demonstration of its 60-bell carillon at 3 PM each day throughout the summer. In addition, on July 3 at 8 PM, and again on July 4 at 3 PM, special holiday recitals will be given. The 250-foot tower, built on the highest elevation in Florida, offers a spectacular view of 200 acres of forests and gardens full of endangered tropical plants. Call (863) 676-1408 for more information.

August

1st Thursdays
The Associates of the Orlando Museum of Art host an after-work party on the first Thursday of each month, where the public can mingle with artists, and enjoy good food and music, all of which focus on a different theme each time. “Suspended Animation,” presented by the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists, will be the theme for August, on the 1st Thursday, 6 PM – 9 PM. Call (407) 896-4231, ext. 256 for more information.

Gatorland
Gatorland, 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, at the south end of Orlando, is only a short drive from downtown. Each day, four animal shows are presented, including alligator jumping, wrestling, and up close looks at poisonous snakes and other wild animals. Call (800) 393-JAWS for more information.

Discovery Cove
Spend the day snorkeling amongst tropical fish, exotic birds and natural coral reefs. Located next to SeaWorld, and open every day from 9 AM – 5:30 PM. Call (877) 434-7268 for more information.

September

Florida Nursery and Allied Trades Show
FNATS is the largest horticultural clearinghouse in the country, with over 800 exhibitors. See thousands of Florida’s best plants and trees attractively showcased, around the third week in September, at the Orange County Convention Center, Exhibit Hall B, on International Drive in south Orlando. Call (800) 375-3642 for more information.

Tarpon Springs Greek Adventure Tour / Marvelous Adventures
Tour round trip from Kissimmee, and visit the sponge docks, authentic Greek pastry shops, and orthodox churches. Tickets are $69. for adults; $59. for children. Call (800) 430-2774 for more information.

A Tale of Two Cities Heritage Tour / Marvelous Adventures
Take a coach tour of Orlando and Kissimmee, as your guide recounts the history of Central Florida. Call ( 800) 430-2774 for more information.

October

Taste of Bavaria
Take an all-day guided coach tour through the hilly regions of central Florida to a German bakery, local winery and German restaurant, in connection with Oktoberfest, mid-October. Call (800) 430-2774 for more information.

Silver Spurs Rodeo & Kissimmee Ribfest
The best rodeo cowboys in the eastern U.S., along with over 25,000 spectators, converge on Orlando to ride the bulls and enjoy teams competing for the People’s Choice Awards for best ribs and sauce, during the first or second week of October. Call (407) 847-3174 for more information.

Cypress Gardens’ Oktoberfest
For most of October, Cypress Gardens, 2641 S. Lake Summit Drive, just south of Orlando near Winter Haven, hosts a lavish version of this tradition, complete with German entertainment and food, along with the usual botanical and lighting displays, lake cruises and amusement rides, which are worth seeing even without a special reason. Call (863) 324-2111 for more information.

November

Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza
Over 1,500 southern antique dealers come each year to Renninger’s Twin Markets, Mount Dora, on the third weekend of November. If you plan to do any antique shopping this year, save it for this annual event. Call (352) 383-8393 for more information.

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
Visit the World Showcase Lagoon at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center, 1320 Avenue of the Stars, Lake Buena Vista. Learn about the history of beer. Enjoy samples of wine and native cuisine from over 100 wineries representing over 30 countries. Don’t miss this annual event, mid-November. Call (407) 824-2222 for more information.

Christmas at Pinewood; The Twelve Days of Christmas
In addition to the many gardens, botanical displays and famous 60-bell carillon recital, from just before Thanksgiving through the first week in January, Bok Tower Gardens also decorates the rooms in its Medieval-style mansion to reflect each of the twelve days of Christmas. Call (863) 676-1408 for more information.

Annual Poinsettia Festival & Garden of Lights
Each year, Cypress Gardens, 2641 S. Lake Summit Drive, just south of Orlando near Winter Haven, augments its usual offering of exotic gardens, lake cruises and amusement rides with a gigantic display of poinsettia blooms, and illuminated topiaries, Christmas carolers and a musical production, beginning the thrid week in November. Call (800) 282-2123 for more information.

December

Holidays Around the World
Every day, throughout December, the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World presents storytelling, a candlelight procession and tree lighting ceremonies that highlight how the holidays are celebrated in different world cultures. Call (407) 824-4321 for more information.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Celebrate Christmas with Mickey through mid-December, at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. Don’t miss this millennium event. Call (407) 824-2222 for more information.

Tree Lighting
Seeing Shamu dressed as Santa might be worth the trip, throughout December, but the main event is the nightly tree lighting at SeaWorld, culminating in the New Year’s Eve laser light show and fireworks. Call (888) 800-5447 for more information.

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