Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Epcot food fest starts earlier, adds Spain, India marketplaces
Walt Disney World once again is supersizing the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The 2017 edition will kick off Aug. 31 for a record 75 days and will feature 35 marketplaces, including two newbies: India and Spain.
That 35 number corresponds with Epcot’s 35th anniversary, which arrives later this year. The fest will be 13 days longer than last year’s edition, which began Sept. 14. This year’s festival concludes Nov. 14.
Full menus have not been released, but among the new menu items listed on the Disney Parks Blog are crispy chicken with griddled cornbread and gravy at the Farm Fresh marketplace; charcuterie in a cone at Spain marketplace; and the spicy korma chicken and the pistachio cardamom cake from the India marketplace.
Returning features of the festival include the “Ratatouille”-based scavenger hunt, appearances by TV chefs, culinary demonstrations and the Party for the Senses events, along with dining and pairing events at Disney World hotels.
Acts for the Eat to the Beat concert series have not been announced. There will be a total of 225 performances, Disney says.
It’s not Disney World’s only event to kick off in August this year. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will have two sessions during the month.
The theme park is currently in the midst of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, which concludes May 29.