Excitement is in bloom at Epcot as the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV! starts today.
Every year around this time Disney springs to life with colorful flowers and gardens, dazzling Disney character topiaries, live music and some fascinating programs. The event runs from today through to May 20, 2012, and this special event beckons you to be inspired by nature at its finest.
Some of the festival highlights are educational presentations at the Festival Center, themed weekends, special displays and a lot of fun for the kids. At the Festival Center you’ll be able to watch and learn as some wonderful presenters offer some great presentations on the HGTV Designers Stage, Greenhouse Stage HGTV Theater and there will be chances to “Ask an Expert” about various aspects of life around the home and the garden.
One of the main features of the festival are the topiaries and you’ll find more than 100 of them throughout the Epcot theme park—including more than 75 Disney character topiaries! Highlights include character topiaries representing Buzz, Woody and Lotso from the Disney•Pixar film Toy Story 3, Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney•Pixar film Cars 2, and many other classic favorites.
You’ll also be able to enjoy some fabulous live music from the 1960s and 1970s during the Flower Power Concert Series as a different artist features every weekend at the America Gardens Theatre. Show times are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Here’s the line up:
March 9-11 Jose Feliciano
March 16-18 Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
March 23-25 The Guess Who
March 30 – April 1 The Spinners
April 6 – 8 Chubby Checker & The Wildcats
April 13 – 19 Paul Revere and The Raiders
April 20 – 22 The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie
April 27 – 29 Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night)
May 4 – 6 The Orchestra (featuring former members of ELO)
May 11 – 19 Herman’s Hermits staring Peter Noone
Among other highlights of the festival will be Bambi’s Butterfly House, Sustainable Beauty, English Tea Garden, Epcot Gardens of the World and Haiti: Garden of Many Colors…places where you can explore and learn more about some of the great things this planet has to offer. It’s a must see and do if you’re in Orlando between now and the middle of May!