It’s the beginning of the year, and that means it’s time for EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts!

EPCOT has four festivals throughout the year: the Festival of the Arts, the Flower & Garden Festival, the Food & Wine Festival, and the Festival of the Holidays. With so many choices, which one should you visit? Since the Festival of the Arts is going strong right now, we’re sharing all the reasons why THIS is the festival you need to check out!

Beautiful Food Dishes

This year, there are 16 different food studios at the Festival of the Arts. The food options for this festival are especially unique because their presentation is a step above!

With creative plating, colorful ingredients, and extra care put into the looks, the eats at the Festival of the Arts are super Instagrammable mini works of art. Plus, they’re usually pretty delicious as well!

Check out our reviews of ALL the booths at this year’s festival here!

Amazing Entertainment

This year’s festival is full of spectacular entertainment, even though it’s slightly reduced from years past. This includes EPCOT’s incredibly talented acapella group, the Voices of Liberty.

Seven days a week, guests will also get to see performances by the EPCOT Pianist in World Showplace, the JAMMitors in the Canada Pavilion, and Art Defying Gravity (“a spectacle of thrilling strength acts”) in the World Showplace.

Thursdays-Sundays in World Showplace, you’ll find visual art performances, where a painter brings Disney characters to life before your eyes.

Be sure to check out the chalk artists around the park! Their masterpieces change often and if you time it right you can spot the artists hard at work!

Check out the entertainment at this year’s fest here!

Unique Photo Ops

Each year the Festival of the Arts brings famous works of art to life in photo op form, allowing guests to step into the painting and capture the moment. These are really fun parts of the festival and make for great family photos! You can find these photo ops scattered around World Showcase and the Promenade between Future World and World Showcase.

Also, the chalk art displays are wonderful places to stop and snap some photos. The 3D designs are seriously cool and impressive to see how well they trick your eye!

So Many Activities

Besides the entertainment, there are also several activities to participate in for the Festival of the Arts! Figment’s Brush with the Masters scavenger hunt is back this year, sending guests searching for Figment hiding in art around World Showcase.

If you’d like to participate in some hands-on activities, then check out the Animation Experience in the America Gardens Theatre or the Paint-by-Number Mural in Future World West. Both of these experiences allow guests to actually create the art themselves.

We love being able to try our hand at creating some of the cool art in the park!

Click here to learn more about the Paint-by-Number Mural!

A Variety of Shopping Options

It wouldn’t be a festival without some new merchandise, and the Festival of the Arts has a TON! First of all, there’s the typical souvenir-type merchandise. We spotted Figment-centric spirit jerseys, masks, and more!

Besides the basic items, EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts is home to a great variety of artwork that’s available for purchase. Several booths with art on display are staged around the park, and occasionally, you may even see the artists themselves.

If you’re looking for some new home decor, then definitely make a stop by some of these exhibits to see if anything strikes your fancy.

Check out more of the Artist Booths and more here!

Great Timing!

With the holidays wrapped up and the crowds slowly diminishing, it’s the perfect time to visit Disney World! The weather is pretty cool but still warmer than many parts of the country, so it might be nice to head to Florida if you’re trying to escape Winter snow and ice.

We love this festival for so many reasons and we’re so happy that it’s back for 2021. Stay tuned to DFB as we bring you all the upcoming festival news!

Check Out the List of Booths for the Festival of the Arts!

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Will you be visiting the Festival of the Arts this year? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why THIS Is the EPCOT Festival You Should Really Check Out! first appeared on the disney food blog.