Seasonal Events & Festivals near me in Orlando, FL
23 seasonal events & festivals in Orlando, Florida, each with a direct link, phone number and what they offer. Orlando's calendar is packed with annual events, and many of the best ones only happen for a few weeks a year.
23 listings · Updated October 2026
Seasonal Events & Festivals listings
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Festival of Trees
Event in Loch Haven Park, $$
Now in its 40th year, this holiday fundraiser by The Council of 101 fills the Orlando Museum of Art with dozens of designer-decorated trees, gingerbread displays and a holiday boutique.
- Christmas
- Festival
- Ticketed
- Family
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Painted Oaks Academy Pumpkin Patch
Event in East Orlando, $
A ranch-style riding academy in east Orange County that opens a pumpkin patch every October with hayrides, a petting zoo and pony rides.
- Pumpkin patch
- Fall
- Ticketed
- Kids
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City of Orlando Tree Lighting Celebration
Event in Downtown
Orlando's annual tree lighting switches on a 64-foot tree at Lake Eola with a stage show, holiday market and Santa visits. After the ceremony the tree runs a synchronized light-and-music show every evening into early January.
- Christmas
- Holiday lights
- Outdoor
- Family
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Come Out With Pride Orlando
Event in Downtown
Central Florida's big Pride celebration fills Lake Eola Park for a day of stages, community areas and a downtown parade, ending with fireworks. Entry is free, with paid VIP options for those 21 and up.
- Pride
- Festival
- Parade
- Fireworks
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Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens
Event in Audubon Park, $$
A separately ticketed after-dark holiday light walk that winds through Harry P. Leu Gardens past themed light worlds, a glowing poinsettia tunnel and play zones for kids.
- Christmas
- Holiday lights
- Ticketed
- Outdoor
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Dinos In Lights
Event in Loch Haven Park, $$
Orlando Science Center's holiday light-and-music show stars its T. rex skeleton and fossil friends in the DinoDigs hall, with short shows through the day.
- Christmas
- Holiday lights
- Ticketed
- Kids
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Fiesta in the Park
Event in Downtown
A twice-yearly arts and crafts fair around Lake Eola that has been running for more than five decades. Hundreds of artisan and food booths line the lake path, with live entertainment through the weekend.
- Art festival
- Festival
- Fall
- Spring
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Fireworks at the Fountain
Event in Downtown
The City of Orlando's Independence Day celebration at Lake Eola Park has run for nearly five decades.
- Fireworks
- Summer
- Festival
- Outdoor
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St. Luke's Pumpkin Patch
Event in Dr. Phillips, $
Seasonal pumpkin patch on the St. Luke's United Methodist campus off Apopka-Vineland Road.
- Pumpkin patch
- Fall
- Family
- Kids
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Central Florida Fair
Event in Pine Hills, $
Orange County's annual fair runs for about 11 days each late winter at the fairgrounds on West Colonial Drive. Expect midway rides, fair food, livestock shows and live entertainment.
- Festival
- Ticketed
- Kids
- Family
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Gatorland's Holiday Ho, Ho, Ho-Down
Event, $$
December weekends at Gatorland bring a quirky Florida-style holiday party with Gator Claus photos, costumed characters and holiday music. It is included with regular park admission.
- Christmas
- Ticketed
- Kids
- Family
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Gators, Ghosts & Goblins
Event, $$
Gatorland's daytime Halloween weekends are designed for kids, with trick-or-treating, a costume parade with treat bags and a themed haunted museum.
- Halloween
- Ticketed
- Kids
- Family
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Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival
Event in Loch Haven Park, $
Billed as the longest-running fringe festival in the U.S., Orlando Fringe takes over Loch Haven Park and nearby theaters for about two weeks every May.
- Festival
- Spring
- Ticketed
- Adults
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PlayFest at Orlando Shakes
Event in Loch Haven Park, $
Orlando Shakes' annual new-play festival presents staged readings of works in development over two weekends, with audience talkbacks after each one. A pass covers most readings, and single tickets are inexpensive.
- Festival
- Fall
- Ticketed
- Adults
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Spooky Empire
Event in International Drive, $$
A horror fan convention held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando on Halloween weekend, with celebrity guests, a vendor hall, costume contests and a zombie walk. It is ticketed, with VIP passes that get in an hour early.
- Halloween
- Ticketed
- Adults
- Nightlife
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A Christmas Carol at Orlando Shakes
Event in Loch Haven Park, $$
Orlando Shakes stages Dickens' A Christmas Carol as its holiday production, running from Thanksgiving week through Christmas Eve. It makes an easy holiday theatre outing for families.
- Christmas
- Ticketed
- Family
- Date idea
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Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando
Event in International Drive, $$
SeaWorld's separately ticketed Halloween event fills the park with haunted houses, scare zones and themed bars after dark. It is aimed at mature audiences with gory themes, and costumes are not permitted.
- Halloween
- Theme park
- Ticketed
- Nightlife
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Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando
Event in International Drive, $$$
SeaWorld's holiday season adds millions of lights, snow flurries, an ice-skating show and nightly holiday fireworks over the lagoon.
- Christmas
- Holiday lights
- Theme park
- Ticketed
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Electric Ocean
Event in International Drive, $$$
SeaWorld's summer nights event keeps the park lively after dark with DJ dance parties, a cirque-style water show, a drone show and fireworks. It runs on summer evenings at the park.
- Summer
- Fireworks
- Theme park
- Ticketed
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Halloween Horror Nights
Event in Universal, $$$
Universal's long-running after-dark horror event turns Universal Studios Florida into a maze of haunted houses and scare zones on select fall nights.
- Halloween
- Theme park
- Ticketed
- Nightlife
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Holidays at Universal Orlando
Event in Universal, $$$
Universal decks out its parks for the season, with a giant-balloon holiday parade presented with Macy's and festive decor in the Wizarding World's Diagon Alley.
- Christmas
- Theme park
- Ticketed
- Parade
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Seven Seas Food Festival
Event in International Drive, $$$
SeaWorld's long spring food festival sets up kiosks around the park serving more than 200 dishes from many cuisines, plus wine, cocktails and craft beer.
- Food festival
- Festival
- Spring
- Theme park
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Universal Orlando Mardi Gras
Event in Universal, $$$
Universal Studios Florida's take on Mardi Gras brings a nighttime parade where riders toss beads, plus concerts on select nights. Festival food is sold around the park.
- Festival
- Parade
- Theme park
- Ticketed
Seasonal Events & Festivals in Orlando: what we found
This page covers 23 seasonal events & festivals in Orlando. You'll find them in International Drive, Loch Haven Park, Downtown and Universal.
Where menus list prices, most of these sit in the $$ range, with a handful at $$$.
What comes up again and again on their menus and websites: Live entertainment.
Orlando is the county seat and the largest city in Orange County. Beyond the theme parks it is a city of neighborhoods, from Downtown and Thornton Park to College Park, Mills 50, Ivanhoe Village, Audubon Park, Baldwin Park, Lake Nona and Dr. Phillips, each with its own mix of local shops, restaurants and service businesses.
How to choose a event near Orlando
Orlando's calendar is packed with annual events, and many of the best ones only happen for a few weeks a year. Fall brings Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom, along with pumpkin patches, corn mazes and the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. The holiday season adds light displays such as Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens and the Lake Eola tree show, plus Disney and Universal holiday events and Winter Park's free parade and tree lighting. Winter and spring are festival season, with the ZORA! Festival in Eatonville, the Central Florida Fair, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, EPCOT's arts and flower festivals, the Florida Film Festival and Orlando Fringe. Summer is quieter, with July 4 fireworks and SeaWorld's Electric Ocean nights. Some events are free, some are included with park admission and some need their own ticket, so read each listing carefully. Dates change every year, so always confirm this year's schedule on the official event page before you make plans.
Local tip
Separately ticketed theme park parties like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party can sell out well in advance, and all of its 2026 dates are already sold out, so watch for ticket releases early if a party is on your list.
Frequently asked questions
What seasonal events are included with theme park admission?
Several are. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, Festival of the Holidays, Flower & Garden Festival and Festival of the Arts are included with EPCOT admission. SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration and Seven Seas Food Festival are included with park admission, though festival food costs extra. Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream and Disney's after-hours parties need their own tickets.
What are the best fall events in Orlando?
Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are the big theme park events. Locally, Come Out With Pride fills Lake Eola Park in October, Club Lake Fall Festival and Painted Oaks Academy run pumpkin patches, and Fiesta in the Park and the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival take place in November.
What free seasonal events are there in Orlando?
Come Out With Pride, Winter on the Avenue, the Winter Park Christmas Parade, Christmas in the Park, the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival and the Winter Park 4th of July Celebration are free. The Lake Eola Christmas tree runs free nightly light shows after the city's tree lighting in early December.
When is the Central Florida Fair?
The Central Florida Fair runs for about 11 days in late February or early March at the fairgrounds on West Colonial Drive. Check the fair's official site for this year's dates.
What events happen at Universal in the spring?
Universal Orlando Mardi Gras runs on select nights in late winter and spring, with a nighttime parade where riders toss beads, concerts on select nights and festival food around Universal Studios Florida.
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