By Nate Shelton on
No matter your age or interests, you’ll fall for cultural celebrations, culinary delights and Halloween haunts in Orlando this autumn (MAGIC KINGDOM® Park at WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort pictured / ©Disney).
Updated Sept. 11, 2023
Between smaller crowds, cooler temperatures and a wealth of special events, autumn is the perfect time to visit Orlando. Experience our seasonal delights for yourself at cultural celebrations, food festivals and Halloween happenings for all ages this fall.
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Every autumn, the arts come alive in Orlando. Here are the major cultural extravaganzas you won’t want to miss in 2023.
Now in its 19th year, Orlando’s Come Out With Pride 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. Everyone from Central Florida and beyond is invited to come together and make a positive impact on Orlando’s LGBTQ+ community.
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Named one of the Top 25 “Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine, the Orlando Film Festival showcases the best in independent cinema from around the world. All screenings will be held at the CMX Cinemas Plaza Cafe 12 in downtown Orlando’s City District.
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Over three days, EDC Orlando 2023 will showcase an eclectic mix of more than 120 dance music acts at historic Tinker Field, adjacent to Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando’s West Lakes Market Street District. From dance music’s strong roots in Florida to the explosive energy of Orlando itself, the iconic music festival will offer countless special moments as it celebrates more than 25 years of love, community and dance “Under the Electric Sky.”
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Every Thanksgiving weekend, FusionFest brings the whole world to downtown Orlando — almost literally. Held at the open-air Seneff Arts Plaza at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, this unique, two-day gala invites you to explore more than 110 global cultures, starting with a bounty of dishes from around the world. You can also look forward to experiences and contests celebrating music, dance, visual arts, spoken word, games, interactive activities and more. Food, beverages and merchandise are available for purchase, and the festival itself is free to attend.
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Produced by Creative City Project, Dazzling Nights is back for its fourth year — and this time, it will be bigger and even more interactive. The all-ages holiday event transforms the 50-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens into a stunning winter wonderland featuring a million dazzling lights, shining forests, magical displays, music and beautiful sculptures. This year will also feature a brand-new, large-scale light show and much more. Leu Gardens is part of Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District near downtown.
Between downtown Orlando’s FusionFest and other fantastic food festivals — not to mention Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® — fall is one of the most delicious times of year to visit Orlando.
Celebrating its 18th year, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is back for 2023, inviting you to savor three-course, prix-fixe dinners at more than 130 top Orlando-area restaurants, with meals priced at $40 or $60 per person. The lineup includes nine MICHELIN Guide honorees, as well as 22 venues participating for the first time — and you won’t want to miss a bite. Visit OrlandoMagicalDining.com to view participating venues and menus, then make your OpenTable reservations to ensure your preferred dates and times at every restaurant you want to try.
The favorite time of year for foodies and wine enthusiasts alike has arrived — as has the EPCOT® International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE®. Held at EPCOT® at Walt Disney World® Resort, this iconic festival serves up flavors from across six continents and unlocks unlimited fun through your tastebuds. You can also expect can’t-miss activities like the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, the all-ages Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt, and Emile’s Fromage Montage, a flavorful food stroll. The festival is included with park admission, with food and beverages available for purchase.
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Hosted by Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and open to the general public, the open-air Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Fall Food & Wine Classic pairs wines from around the world with culinary artistry from the resort’s top chefs. Choose from event-only tickets, which provide unlimited samples of all food and beverages plus entry to the Beer Garden, or make it a gourmet getaway with overnight packages at the main resort and the new Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.
Orlando is ready to scare up a ghoulishly good time this Halloween with spooky soirees and fantastic fun for children and adults, including these scream-tastic standouts. Get additional details and discover even more events in our roundup of Halloween happenings in Orlando.
Summon your scream squad to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort. During this specially ticketed event, face 10 haunted houses, five scare zones, live entertainment and some of the most exciting attractions at Universal Studios Florida.
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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 resurfaces at SeaWorld Orlando with nowhere to hide. This year’s separately ticketed event promises to be bigger than ever with more pulse-pounding, sweat-inducing haunts, thrills and chills, including scare zones, houses of horror, nighttime coaster rides, fiendishly interactive bars, and the monstrous electricity of three live shows. Evil returns — with a howl and a scream.
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.
With Haunting Nights, Creative City Project brings to life an artful, exciting Halloween experience in the forests of Harry P. Leu Gardens. Expect immersive worlds, fall-inspired encounters and a few jump scares, plus seasonal food and drinks. Make your way past the bridge troll and into the forest of eyes, journey through a neon-lit maze, and so much more. Leu Gardens is part of Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District.
Discover: Things to Do in the Audubon Park Garden District
Join some of your favorite Disney Characters for an evening of spirited fun at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an all-ages, specially ticketed celebration at Magic Kingdom® Park, part of Walt Disney World Resort. Revel in the extraordinarily enchanting atmosphere of this limited-capacity event with eerie entertainment that includes the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! at Cinderella Castle, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, Disney Junior Jam for young partygoers, Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade, the Trick-or-Treat Trail, Disney Characters in costume, and more than 20 favorite attractions with a Halloween twist. You’re also invited to wear costumes with some restrictions.
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Celebrate Halloween with free trick-or-treating, costumes, your favorite sea friends and plenty of spooky surprises. Treat your family to all the festive fun of SeaWorld® Spooktacular, included with park admission at SeaWorld Orlando this fall.
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At LEGOLAND® Florida Resort, get bewitched by the biggest Brick-or-Treat ever with an all-new fireworks show, new Monstrous experiences, tons of candy, boo-tastic limited time food offerings, and exclusive LEGO® monster characters. All the fun of Brick-or-Treat presents Monster Party is included with park admission to LEGOLAND® Florida Theme Park.
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A fun, family-friendly version of Haunting Nights, Happy Frights is also produced by Creative City Project at Leu Gardens, with sessions taking place before the scarier evening entertainment. Enjoy immersive worlds, live characters, food, trick-or-treating and more.
Cultural celebrations, food festivals and spooky thrills aren’t the only activities you’ll enjoy in Orlando this autumn. From joyful music to beautiful art to live sports, we have fall festivities for every age group and interest. Use our Events Calendar to see what’s happening during your next visit to Orlando.
Use this interactive map to track down the events featured in this blog. (Click here if you found us via Google and don’t see a map or images.)
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