Visit Orlando issued the following announcement on August 16.
Food, Festivities & Halloween Fun: Celebrate Fall in Orlando
You’re going to “fall” in love with Orlando’s autumn events, including Halloween thrills, culinary delights and cultural celebrations for all ages and interests (Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort pictured/© Disney).
With smaller crowds, cooler temperatures and an array of special events, autumn is one of the best times to experience everything Orlando has to offer. This fall, you’re sure to delight in our fantastic food festivals (plus Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining®!), Halloween haunts, and immersive cultural celebrations at our theme parks and throughout the destination, recently named as one of “The 15 Best Places to Visit in October (and the Most Wallet-Friendly)” by PureWow in a widely syndicated article. Fall in for these can’t-miss fall festivities in Orlando — and share your favorite experiences on social media using #LoveOrlando!
Please note: Depending on the timing of your visit, some experiences may be temporarily modified. Learn more about healthy travel in Orlando, and check with your favorite events and businesses for their current status.
- Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining
- Food Festivals
- Cultural Celebrations
- Halloween Haunts
- LGBTQ+ Events
- More Fall Events
- Map
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® (Aug. 27 – Oct. 3, 2021)
Enjoy Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® at More Than 80 Participating Restaurants (The Venetian Chop House Pictured)
Between celebrity chefs, local culinary heroes and a fresh-focused farm-to-table movement, Orlando’s dining scene continues to amaze even the most demanding palates. Fall offers a seasonal cornucopia of events that can help you build a dream foodie vacation — starting with Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, running Aug. 27 – Oct. 3, 2021!
Learn more: Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Is Back
During this popular program’s 16th year, more than 80 of Central Florida’s top restaurants are offering three-course, prix-fixe dinner menus for just $37 per person. What’s more, $1 from each meal will benefit Pathlight HOME and IDignity, two organizations that are helping to combat homelessness in Central Florida.
Many participating restaurants have al fresco and takeout options, too, giving you more ways to enjoy this year’s event. Visit OrlandoMagicalDining.com for a complete list of participating eateries and menus, plus OpenTable reservations — which you should make ASAP to lock in your preferred dates and times!
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More Fall Foodie Festivals & Events in Orlando
Thanks to foodie-focused events at Walt Disney World® Resort, SeaWorld® Orlando and other venues throughout the destination, fall is one of the most delicious times of year to visit Orlando!
Learn more: Fall Foodie Festivals in Orlando
EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando (©Disney)
EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World® Resort (Through Nov. 20, 2021)
Great news! The magic kicks off this summer, spans 128 days and is included with valid admission and park reservation to EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort. Come sip and savor your way through a tasty selection of global marketplaces. There’s even an entire menu of family fun including Remy’s Ratatouille-inspired scavenger hunt and plenty of delicious live musical performances along the way! (Entertainment and offerings subject to change without notice.) Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: Walt Disney World Resort
Craft Beer Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando
Craft Beer Festival at SeaWorld® Orlando (Weekends & Labor Day, Aug. 13 – Sept. 12, 2021)
At SeaWorld Orlando, dive into more than 100 craft brews — including domestic and local Florida favorites — plus wines, seltzers and cocktails. The event also features more than 20 food items designed to pair perfectly with the brews, as well as festive entertainment to keep the party going. SeaWorld’s Craft Beer Festival overlaps the park’s Electric Ocean summer celebration, which is available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 6, 2021. Both are included with park admission, with food and beverages available at an additional cost. Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: SeaWorld Orlando
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando
Fall Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic (Oct. 29-30, 2021)
Held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort for two days only, this outdoor festival features unlimited food tastings from the resort’s culinary team and wine, beer and other sips from around the world. Event-only tickets are available, as are overnight packages for those who want the ultimate gourmet getaway. Learn more.
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Unique Fall Cultural Celebrations in Orlando
The arts come alive during autumn in Orlando. Here are some of the biggest cultural extravaganzas you won’t want to miss in 2021!
IMMERSE in Downtown Orlando
IMMERSE (Oct. 15-17, 2021)
Enter a world where artists break past the stage and invite you into their performances at this open-air festival in downtown Orlando, where you can journey through 10 city blocks of unexpected creative encounters, epic performances and interactive art. This year is set to feature performances from Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Central Florida Community Arts, a wide range of musicians and more, all complemented by immersive art activations you’ll have to see to believe. Learn more.
Learn more: Downtown Orlando
EDC Orlando
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Orlando (Nov. 12-14, 2021)
Featuring scores of the world’s top dance music artists and plenty of festivities, EDC will have its largest festival footprint ever in 2021, allowing for expanded and additional stages as the event marks 25 years of celebrating love, community and dance music culture. If you’re a fan of dance music, this is one event you won’t want to miss! Learn more.
Explore Global Food, Art, Fashion and More at FusionFest in Downtown Orlando
FusionFest (Nov. 27-28, 2021)
Held at the open-air Seneff Arts Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando, this unique, two-day festival invites you to explore a cornucopia of global heritages. Taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, it boasts a bounty of dishes from around the world, plus interactive experiences and contests celebrating the arts, fashion, dance and more. Food, beverages and merchandise are available for purchase, and the festival itself has free admission. Learn more.
Learn more: Orlando Arts & Entertainment
Winter Park Autumn Art Festival (Oct. 9-10, 2021)
Free to attend, this juried, outdoor art show features work by outstanding Florida artists, as well as live entertainment, creative workshops and food from local restaurants. Winter Park is about 25 minutes northeast of our main tourism districts. Learn more.
Learn more: Winter Park
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Halloween Vacation Capital®
Orlando is ready to scare up a ghoulishly good time this Halloween with spooky soirees and fantastic fun for children and adults. Here’s your guide to 2021’s most happening haunts!
Learn more: Halloween in Orlando
Halloween Events for Adults & Teens
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort (Select Nights, Sept. 3 – Oct. 31, 2021)
Now in its 30th terrifying year, Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) at Universal Orlando Resort is a specially ticketed event that brings together the stories and visions of the world’s most notorious creators of horror at Universal Studios Florida. Confirmed haunted houses for 2021 include The Haunting of Hill House, Beetlejuice, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives, and HHN Icons: Captured, Welcome to Scarey: Horror in the Heartlands, Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth, The Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin, Puppet Theatre: Captive Audience, and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy, plus five scare zones, outrageous live entertainment, heart-pounding takes on some of Universal Studios’ most exhilarating attractions, and other shocking surprises. So heed this warning if you plan to dare the terrors of Halloween Horror Nights: Never go alone! Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: Halloween Horror Nights
WARNING: EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. NO COSTUMES OR COSTUME MASKS ALLOWED.
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld® Orlando
Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld® Orlando (Select Nights, Sept. 10 – Oct. 31, 2021)
A visit to SeaWorld Orlando will turn frightful on select evenings this fall when the park unleashes its all-new Howl-O-Scream! During this specially ticketed event, you’ll evade roaming haunts rampaging through scare zones and seek shelter indoors — only to find you’ve entered a house of horrors. Deepen the thrill with a nighttime coaster ride. Quench your thirst for fear at a fiendishly interactive bar. Feel the monstrous electricity of a live show. Above all, try to resist the haunting song of the one who has emerged from the lake. Evil is calling at Orlando’s newest Halloween event — with a howl and a scream. Learn more.
Please note: Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore and blood. No costumes are allowed.
12th Annual Día de los Muertos & Monster Party (Oct. 21, 2021)
Presenting an early salute to the Mexican holiday, Orlando’s 12th Annual Día de los Muertos & Monster Party will feature a themed exhibition at downtown’s CityWorks art gallery and an outdoor experience with live performances, spooky art vendors and other reasons to attend. The exhibition will showcase Day of the Dead and Halloween-inspired art created by regional, national and international artists. Learn more.
Halloween Events for All Ages
Disney After Hours Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom® Park, Part of Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando (©Disney)
Disney After Hours Boo Bash at Walt Disney World® Resort (Select Dates, Aug. 10 – Oct. 31, 2021)
Head to Walt Disney World Resort for Disney After Hours Boo Bash! After the close of Magic Kingdom® Park, you’ll find a special three-hour event that’s brewing this Halloween season with party music, decorations and Character Cavalcades galore. With the parks closed and low wait times for favorite attractions, it’s the perfect event for you to swoop in. Guests young, old and immortal can dress in costume for the occasion and get their fill of Halloween candy as they collect treats about the land. Catch sight of some favorite and fiendish friends, or stop and listen to the Cadaver Dans during their special comeback (from the dead) performance. And don’t forget the exclusive culinary offerings! No day park ticket or reservation required after purchase. But hurry: There are only a few select dates left on sale and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: Disney After Hours Boo Bash
SeaWorld® Spooktacular in Orlando
SeaWorld® Spooktacular (Saturdays & Sundays, Sept. 18 – Oct. 31, 2021)
Halloween is back at SeaWorld Orlando with candy, costumes, your favorite Sesame Street® friends, and plenty of spooky surprises. Treat your family to all the festive fun of SeaWorld Spooktacular this fall, a daytime event that’s included with park admission! Kids will meet all sorts of colorful characters and collect plenty of candy along the decorated Trick-or-Treat Trail. And that’s just the beginning! From spooky stories and a Halloween dance party to moments with furry friends like Count von Count, Elmo, Cookie Monster and more, this immersive family fun is waiting for you at SeaWorld. Learn more.
Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort Near Orlando
Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort (Saturdays & Sundays, Oct. 2-31, 2021)
Build the perfect Halloween for kids at LEGOLAND Florida Resort! Your family can experience the spooky, kooky fun of Brick or Treat with trick-or-treating, exclusive Halloween characters and more — all included in general admission. Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Gators, Ghosts and Goblins™ at Gatorland in Orlando
Gators, Ghosts and Goblins™ at Gatorland (Saturdays & Sundays, Oct. 9-31, 2021)
Come out in costume for Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts and Goblins event, included with park admission. Festivities include a Children’s Halloween Costume Parade with treat bags for kids, multiple themed haunt zones, interactive characters, animal meet-and-greets, a search for Gatorland’s famous Skunk Ape and hidden cryptozoological beasts, and the return of Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum. You can also look forward to “undead” music and fun at Frank & Stein’s Ooky Kooky Octoberfest, as well as German beer and food for purchase. Learn more.
Save on discount tickets: Gatorland
The Haunted Road (Select Dates, Sept. 30 – Nov. 7, 2021)
One of Florida’s last remaining haunted roads is now a seasonal drive-thru experience, disrupting spirits and conjuring up on-demand ghost sightings for you to witness. But proceed at your own risk: It is unclear if the spirits remain to ward off future victims or lure unsuspecting travelers to join them as part of The Haunted Road! (Please note: You may experience sudden and scary action and sounds at The Haunted Road that may not be suitable for young children.) Learn more.
Fall LGBTQ+ Events in Orlando
Come Out With Pride Orlando
Come Out With Pride Orlando (Oct. 9, 2021)
Now in its 17th year, Orlando's Come Out With Pride festival is a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride and support, taking place at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. This nonprofit celebration fosters a sense of community, encourages LGBTQ+ citizens to live openly and with pride, and educates the general public. What’s more, 2021’s edition will include the National Trans Visibility March, marking the first time the three-year-old event has taken place outside of Washington, D.C. Everyone from Central Florida and beyond is invited to come together and make a positive impact on Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community. Learn more.
Learn more: LGBTQ+ in Orlando
Girls in Wonderland (Oct. 14-18, 2021)
Orlando’s largest celebration of women in the LGBTQ+ community is back with hip venues, female DJs and over-the-top shows. Get ready for a weekend that promises something for everyone, including live women’s music, spectacular dance and pool parties, celebrities, comedy shows, theme parks, and thousands of women from around the country and the world celebrating in grand style. Although it’s moving to October in 2021, the event plans to return to its traditional June timing in 2022. Learn more.
More Fall Events in Orlando
There Is Always Something New to Do in Orlando
Food festivals and spooky thrills aren’t the only activities you’ll enjoy in Orlando this autumn. From joyful music to beautiful art to sporting events, we have a plethora of additional fall festivities lined up. Use our Events Calendar to see what’s happening during your next visit to Orlando!
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