Whether you're a local or one of the millions of visitors to Orlando every year, the city has a jam packed calendar of events taking place throughout the year, offering something for everyone to enjoy. Check out our list of must-do Orlando events and festivals!
2024 brings a ton of must-do events to Orlando, with ever month jam-packed with a unique mix of county fairs, arts festivals, food & drink festivals, music festivals, film festivals, theme park events and so much more.
Here at Gotta Go Orlando we've compiled a list of the best events in Central Florida that you really don't want to miss in 2024.
The Must-Do Events and Festivals in Orlando
January
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
January 1
The Iowa Hawkeyes will play the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
Mecum Kissimmee
January 2 - 14
MECUM Kissimmee 2024 is the world’s largest collector car auction taking place at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimeee, and will feature an estimated 4,000 vehicles. There are also daily Road Art selections, the Mecum Midway of food, exhibitors, live entertainment, and the Dodge Thrill Ride.
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
January 3 - 7
Join Mickey Mouse and friends as you go the distance on your journey across every magical mile at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Every course is full of “character” and encouragement as you earn every mile in a weekend filled with four different races, two challenges, and inspiration at every turn of the course!
Three Kings Celebration
January 5 - 7, 2024
Join SeaWorld Orlando for Three Kings Day, a royal celebration to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men.
FESTN4
January 5 - 7
FESTN4 is coming Jan 11, 2024 - Jan 14, 2024, one weekend and in one centralized location, Fringe ArtSpace. Its the perfect introduction for first-time Fringe-goers. FESTN4 is curated, featuring works from past Orlando Fringe festivals, new works from well-received Fringe artists, and brand new creatives scouted from the international and national Fringe circuit.
Epcot International Festival of The Arts
January 12 - February 19
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts at Walt Disney World is a welcome start to the new year, featuring more than 100 Disney and visiting artists who showcase their eye-catching works of art. Plus, guests can express their creative side by learning to draw a Disney character at Animation Academy, leave their mark at Expression Section: A Paint by Number Mural and help Figment learn about art on a scavenger hunt around World Showcase. Plus, Food Studios serve up art-inspired menus, then each evening, the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series features talented entertainers performing Disney songs live,
Central Florida Scottish Highland Games
January 13 - 14
Join the Scottish-American Society of Central Florida & the City for the 45th annual Scottish Highland Games! During this two-day festival, area Scottish clans and societies gather to compete in athletic events, highland dancing, and piping to celebrate their rich heritage.
Rock the Universe at Universal Orlando Resort
January 26 - 27
Rock the Universe is an unforgettable weekend of faith and fun. On January 26 and 27, 2024, experience powerful beats from Christian Music’s brightest stars and thrilling rides at Universal Studios Florida.
Just For Kids Weekend at SeaWorld Orlando
January 27 - 28
During Just for Kids Weekend at SeaWorld, enjoy hands-on activities, dance parties, photo opportunities with characters and much more throughout this family-friendly celebration.
Elmo's Birthday Weekend at SeaWorld Orlando
January 29 - February 4
Celebrate Elmo's Birthday with meet-and-greets, an interactive DJ dance party, and even more surprises.
February
MegaCon Orlando
February 1 - 4
MegaCon Orlando is one of North America's largest comic con's and each year the event brings exciting family-friendly attractions, events, and world-renowned celebrities to Orlando. If you're into comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, or cosplay, the hugely popular MegaCon Orlando returns to take over the Orange County Convention Center from February 1 - 4.
Seven Seas Food Festival
Select Dates, February 2 - May 19
Join SeaWorld Orlando to sip and sample your way around the world with exciting flavors and local craft beers, plus live performances.
Mardi Gras at Universal Studios Florida
February 3 - April 7
The fun and excitement of the Big Easy makes its way to Universal Orlando for an authentic celebration that completely transforms Universal Studios Florida into a family-friendly version of the famed New Orleans street party. The parkwide celebrations transform Universal Studios Florida into Florida’s biggest party, complete with the return of the parade, the beads, the tribute store, the food, and the big name concerts, and an iconic Tribute Store.
49th Annual Mount Dora Arts Festival
February 3 - 4
Held on the streets of historic downtown Mount Dora, experience 300 artists lined along the streets to showcase a vast array of incredible talent in this juried event. There will be entertainment, beer, wine, cocktails, music and food to round out the amazing weekend.
Florida State Fair
February 8 - 19
The Florida State Fair takes place at the Florida Sate Fairgeounds in Tampa, and boasts the largest Midway in the USA, plus shopping, food, livestock, non stop entertainment, and so much more, including racing pigs!
Mardi Gras
February 8 - 18
Let the good times roll with limited-time food, cocktails, entertainment and live music – Mardi Gras style as part of Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld Orlando.
Osceola County Fair
February 9 - 18
The Osceola County Fair is back February 9-18, 2024 at Osceola Heritage Park! Celebrating its 80th year, Osceola County’s largest event will feature amusement rides, games, exciting exhibits, livestock shows, scrumptious fair food, and a demolition derby.
Silver Supers Rodeo
February 15 -18
One of Osceola County’s longest and most treasured traditions celebrates 80 years of dirt-pounding action. The Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted every 3rd weekend in February, this event features all seven traditional rodeo events: bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and barrel racing.
Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend
February 22 - 26, 2024
In 2024, the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend invites you to join us in a celebration of the ways we are all heroes, every day. Because each step forward, each act of kindness, each smile at a stranger… these are the moments that define your character—and can change the world. Join us for a race (or three!) and discover a brave, new hero or heroine within with a whole lotta heart.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
February 28 - July
The popular and fragrant, EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival features fresh cuisine, colorful gardens, playful topiaries and vibrant entertainment. Plus, the popular Garden Rocks Concert Series featuring favorite tunes at the America Gardens Theatre. And of course, fresh flavors will be on the menu at Outdoor Kitchens and other food and beverage locations throughout the park.
Central Florida Fair
February 29 - March 10
The Central Florida Fair is returning for its 112th year to the Central Florida Fairgrounds on West Colonial Dr. Enjoy the midway featuring rides, games, and food, along with live entertainment, animals, livestock exhibitions and competitive exhibits, and so much more, including the much loved racing pigs of course!!
Florida Strawberry Festival
February 29 - March 10
Located between Tampa and Lakeland, the Florida Strawberry Festival is a uniquely Florida Festival that features tons of fresh strawberries, buckets of yummy cream, together with a star studded line up of entertainment, wild rides, agriculture, arts, crafts, exhibitors, vendors, and more, with something for the whole family throughout the eleven day celebration.
March
St. Patrick's Day Celebration
March 7 - 10 & 14 - 17
Enjoy a taste of St. Patrick's Day at SeaWorld Orlando as part of the Seven Seas Food Festival.
The 64th Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
March 15 - 17
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival features artists from around the World, one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious outdoor art festivals in the country, the free to browse show features hundreds of national artists displaying paintings, sculpture, glasswork, jewelry, woodworking and much more.
Orlando Brick Convention - LEGO Fan Expo
March 16 - 17
LEGO fans get ready! The Orlando Brick Convention returns to Osceola Heritage Park and will be twice as big as last year's event with twice the amount of epic LEGO displays. The event features meet-and-greets with LEGO Masters, incredible LEGO creations, vendors, building zones, and so much more!
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival
March - May
A world of taste awaits at the annual Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival with a delicious menu and drinks as dynamic and unique as the park's thrilling roller coaster collection. Guests can sip & savor their way through flavorful eats and mouthwatering treats before finding their new favorite brew or cocktail, while enjoying a diverse concert lineup, including acts for all tastes.
April
Fiesta in the Park
April 6 - 7, 2023
Orlando's longest-running tradition the Fiesta in the Park returns to Lake Eola Park! Celebrate the beauty of the season as hundreds of amazing artists and crafter booths with surround the park, plus enjoy a variety of food vendors, live entertainment, and a kid's zone.
Florida Film Festival
April 12 – 21
Grab the popcorn and get ready as Hollywood sets up home right here in Central Florida. Regarded as one of the finest film festivals in the U.S., the Florida Film Festival is an annual showcase for the best in American Independent and Foreign Cinema.
Cinco de Mayo
April 25 - 28
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at SeaWorld Orlando with authentic music, delicious Mexican cuisine, and festive entertainment as part of our Seven Seas Food Festival.
May
Cinco de Mayo
April 2 - 5
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at SeaWorld Orlando with authentic music, delicious Mexican cuisine, and festive entertainment as part of our Seven Seas Food Festival.
Welcome to Rockville
May 9 - 12
Take it all in, Welcome to Rockville is the biggest rock festival in North America, and you will be a part of history. The're cranking up the volume with a monster roster of over 150+ bands, which is 50 more than last year. Buckle up; this is just the beginning. Get your passes NOW to a beast of a festival with the power to unleash rock like never before.
Orlando Fringe
May 14 - 27
The longest-running Fringe Theatre Festival in the United States features every genre imaginable, including drama, dance, musicals, comedy, burlesque, puppetry and more.
Orlando’s 14-day immersive cultural experience, the Annual Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival includes over 2,000 ticketed performances, and includes an outdoor music festival called Visual Fringe, which features displays of art, while Kids Fringe provides weekend play and entertainment for younger audience members.
GayDayS Orando
May 30 - June 3
GayDayS features an unbeatable combination of attractions, events, and parties to help create a magical dream of a vacation week. From the tropical wonderland of the GayDays Host Hotel, to the thrill rides of the theme parks, you're sure to find an event that will amaze and delight you.
Silver Spurs Rodeo
May 31 - June 1
School’s out and the Silver Spurs Rodeo is in! Watch the sport of rodeo's seven traditional events: bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and women's barrel racing. In between the seven traditional events, you’ll also see acts throughout the night from our rodeo clown, witness a performance from our Junior Silver Spurs Quadrille Team, and see junior bull riders and barrel racers compete in the arena!
SeaWorld Summer Spectacular
May - September
When the sun goes down at SeaWorld Orlando, the night comes to life with electrifying dance music, colorful lights, and a fireworks spectacular!
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Summer Nights
May - August
Stay Longer. Play Later! Celebrate all summer long at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with extended park hours, dazzling entertainment and fireworks on select nights.
June
Viva La Música
Weekends, June 1 - 30
Experience this festive, family-friendly Latin celebration in a new way as you dance to the hottest music, sample fiery flavors, shop for authentic souvenirs, and much more at SeaWorld Orlando.
Forbidden Kingdom Music Festival
June 7 - 8
Insomniac’s Forbidden Kingdom Music Festival is Florida’s premier destination for bass and dubstep lovers featuring over 50 artists, art installations and multiple stages at Orlando Amphitheater at Central Florida Fairgrounds.
July
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
July - November
Get ready to sip and savor at more than 25 Global Marketplaces throughout EPCOT, and enjoy the live music at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre.
SeaWorld Bands, Brew & BBQ
July 6 - August 25
At SeaWord Orando enjoy over 100 crafts beers from breweries across the State of Florida, plus a few domestic craft favorites.
August
Visit Orlando Magical Dining
August - October
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining take place from late August through the start of October, featuring $40 prix-fixe menus at more than 100 of Orlando’s best restaurants.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Select Nights, August - November
Get ready for a spooktacular celebration with plenty of tricks and treats. Enjoy spellbinding entertainment, favorite Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best and more.
September
Great Irish Hooley at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant.
September
Need a good dose of authentic Irish music? Then you’re in for a treat at Central Florida’s only authentic Irish and roots music festival, the Great Irish Hooley at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, featuring top Irish bands playing everything from trad and folk to Celt grass and blues.
Halloween Horror Nights
Select Nights September - November
Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) at Universal Orlando Resort is huge, its one of the biggest Halloween events in Florida, and features horror of all genres, from cinematic greats and crazed cult favorites to the park’s original abominations, and each year the legend grows and the experience reaches beyond your wildest nightmares.
Howl-O-Scream At Busch Gardens Tampa
Select Nights, September - October
Tampa’s premier Halloween event, Howl-O-Scream returns earlier than ever with new frights & scares taking over the entire park with haunted houses, scare zones, sinister shows and more.
Howl-O-Scream At SeaWorld Orlando
Select Nights, September 6 - November 2
Howl-O-Scream resurfaces at SeaWorld Orlando. Evade angry haunts as they rampage through scare zones. Seek shelter indoors, only to find you’ve entered a house of horrors.
Halloween Spooktacular
Select Dates, September 7 - November 3
At SeaWorld Orlando Spooktacular, trick-or-treat and meet silly Halloween characters during this family-friendly daytime event.
LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat
Select Days, September - October
Families will be screaming in excitement at LEGOLAND Florida Brick-or-Treat this year, with more candy, more LEGO characters and more spell-binding surprises than ever before.
Scream-A-Geddon
September - November
Spread across 20 acres in a remote corner of Pasco County, the scariest of horror parks, Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park has haunted houses, a zombie paintball fight and monsters who can and will grab you!
Sir Henry Haunted Trail
Select Nights, September - November
At Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail expect haunted experiences, a haunted hayride, 2 escape rooms, plus laser tag, and axe throwing.
October
Country Thunder Florida
October 18 - 20
Country Thunder Florida will be setting up camp once again in Kissimmee's Osceola Heritage Park for three days of country music featuing the biggest country stars.
Come Out With Pride
October
The annual Come Out With Pride event is a 3-day experience to raise awareness and celebrate the Orlando LGBTQ+ community. There is a huge parade, and tons of fun events and activities including drag shows, dance parties, comedy shows and more.
Orlando Film Festival
October
The Orlando Film Festival is an immersive eight-day experience that includes more than 300 films and industry panels and workshops, all geared to the 300+ indie filmmakers and 12,000 in attendance.
November
Central Florida International Auto Show
November 2 - 5, 2023
New cars, trucks and SUVs will fill the Orange County Convention Center for the Central Florida International Auto Show!
Electric Daisy Carnival
November 8 - 10
The Electric Daisy Carnival at Tinkers Field combines electronic music on multiple stages with rides and art displays, including huge three-dimensional sculptures and glow-in-the-dark environments to create an experience that brings tens-of-thousands of people to Orlando every year, along with dancers, stiltwalkers, aerialists and circus performers.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Select Nights, November - December
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event including festive favorites including the Christmas extravaganza stage show, “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,” the sparkling spectacular “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks” and the merry must-see “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade.”
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
November - December
Be immersed in the wondrous sights, sounds and flavors of the season at the Candlelight Processional! Savor treasured recipes from around the globe at Holiday Kitchens. And embark on a journey with Holiday Storytellers sharing holiday traditions from around the world.
SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration
November 8 - January 2
SeaWorld Orlando’s award-winning Christmas Celebration transforms SeaWorld Orlando into a winter wonderland, from the iconic Sea of Trees that dance to music as they light up the central lagoon, to delicious holiday treats, and fan-favorite holiday shows and seasonal entertainment throughout the park.
Holidays At Universal Orlando Resort
November - December
Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort include Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as Hogwarts Castle lights up for the holidays and festive decor brightens up the streets of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Larger-than-life balloons float through the streets of Universal Studios Florida in Universal’s Holiday Parade, and enjoy the music and fun of The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular starring the Grinch.
Christmas Town At Busch Gardens Tampa
November - January
At Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, experience the joy of the season up close with animal encounters, thrilling rides, holiday inspired culinary delights and festive shows like Christmas on Ice.
Ice at Gaylord Palms Resort
November - January
At Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center step into a wonderland carved by expert artisans out of 2 million pounds of colorful ice with a dazzling display of larger-than-life sculptures, thrilling ice slides, and awe-inspiring tunnels.
Holidays At LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Select Days, November - December
At LEGOLAND Florida Resort, this jolly time of year features a giant LEGO Christmas tree, unforgettable seasonal shows, holiday characters, special treats, LEGO activities, twinkling lights and more during Holidays at LEGOLAND!
Festival of the Trees at Orlando Museum of Art
November
Don’t miss Council of 101’s annual Festival of Trees, at the Orlando Museum of Art, inviting guests to enter a charming, wooded wonderland to kick off the Christmas season. During Festival of Trees, enjoy enchanting décor, more than 30 designer-decorated trees, exceptional gingerbread houses and wreaths.
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic
November
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic treats guests to a street party festival with unlimited food and beverage tastings at diverse food stations, featuring unlimited culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants, and wine, beer and other sips from around the world.
FusionFest
November
FusionFest is a unique cultural celebrations, presenting a microcosm of the whole world in the heart of downtown Orlando. Representing more than 110 different global cultures, FusionFest is free to attend, with food, beverages and merchandise available for purchase. It’s held at the open-air Seneff Arts Plaza at downtown’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
December
Eola Winter Wonderland
December
Celebrate the holiday season at the City of Orlando's Eola Winter Wonderland at Lake Eola Park. Highlights incklude the 64-foot Christmas tree, holiday performances at the Walt Disney Amphitheater, food trucks and a holiday market on International Plaza at Lake Eola Park.
Now Snowing In Celebration
December
Now Snowing is a month-long Winter Wonderland Spectacular featuring strolling Charles Dickens style Carolers, photos with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, train rides, ice skating, and nightly snowfalls.
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