Disney has confirmed that the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will in fact be two weekends longer than usual this year, running from March 2- May 30 this year. Along with the new dates, additional information about this year’s festival was released that will knock your socks off! Other new items at this year’s festival include additional bands at the Garden Rocks series, new Outdoor Kitchens, hand-on experiences and new topiaries. Guests visiting Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival this year will be greeted by “the first-ever Huey, Dewey and Louie topiaries” these topiaries will feature ” floral interpretations of Donald’s mischievous nephews inspired by the 1943 Donald Duck comic book called “The Victory Garden.”
Younger guests will also be able to enjoy a new festival hands-on experience created just for them. The new Harmony Gardens musical playground will feature topiaries of “band leader” Mickey Mouse who will lead Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy as children play on the new interactive playground that will allow them to create their own music with interactive drums, chimes and xylophones.
Two new Outdoor Kitchens will be joining this year’s lineup pop-up kitchen lineup, bringing the total of specialty Outdoor Kitchens surrounding the World Showcase Promenade to thirteen. . The new Caribbean “La Isla Fresca” the Outdoor Kitchen will offer Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa, and Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon-Pea Rice. The Cider House Outdoor Kitchen will offer items show casing greens from The Land Pavilion in a salad with “heirloom apples, Stilton cheese and dried blueberries will pair well with blueberry hard cider from Plant City, Florida.” The Outdoor Kitchens were added to the festival several years ago.
Also, thanks to the two additional weekends being added to this year’s dates, there will be thirteen bands participating in the Festival’s weekend Garden Rocks concert series. This year’s concerts will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:30, 6:45, and 8 p.m.
Below is the 2016 Garden Rocks concert series line-up:
- March 4-6 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO “Evil Woman”
- March 11-13 – Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
- March 18-20 – Little River Band “Reminiscing”
- March 25-27 – Village People “Y.M.C.A.”
- April 1-3 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”
- April 8-10 – The Guess Who “American Woman”
- April 15-17 – NEW! Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Bo Bice “Spinning Wheel”
- April 22-24 – NEW! BRIAN HOWE, former lead singer of Bad Company “Can’t Get Enough”
- April 29-May 1 – NEW! Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”
- May 6-8 – Gin Blossoms “Hey Jealousy”
- May 13-15 – NEW! Darlene Love “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home”
- May 20-22 – Night Ranger “Sister Christian”
- May 27-30 (Monday) – The Spinners “Working My Way Back to You”
And of course, like with previous International Flower & Garden Festivals, guests will be able to attend complimentary hands-on Gardening Seminars. These seminars allow guests to learn tips on a broad range of gardening topics at presentations hosted by experts from Disney and other horticulture groups.
The Garden Rocks concert series, many of the Gardening Seminars, and the new Harmony Gardens musical playground are included with park admission. Items that will incur an additional fee will be marked in My Disney Experience.
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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