Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more information.
Updated: January 8, 2025
As the thrill-seekers and foodies among us know, theme parks are not just about rides and attractions anymore. Across the USA, a wave of vibrant theme park festivals has been sweeping through, offering families not just excitement, but a full-blown sensory experience.
This guide will dive into the spirit of these festivals, region by region, but first we’ll start with some of the top festivals in the country (in alphabetical order).
Recommended: Your Straightforward Guide to Theme Park Food and Wine Festivals
Top Theme Park Festivals and Limited Edition Treats
Outside of Halloween and Christmas festivities, there are year-round festivals at theme parks all around the United States. From Food and Wine to Mardi Gras to Harvest festivals, there’s a little bit of somethin’ for everyone.
This list will, unfortunately, not include short one-off events as the likelihood of there being limited edition treats being basically zero. If an event is labeled as a festival or runs roughly 3+ weeks, it’s added here to this guide. I changed my mind on this. I feel like if the theme park has it up, then I shouldn’t discriminate, so they’re being added into the guide slowly as I get to them.
Disneyland (California)
Disney is no stranger to doing things bigger and better than most theme parks in the nation, it is after all the blueprint for large operators across the continents. Of course they have a lot of festivals going on outside of Halloween and Christmas-time.
Their most popular is their Food and Wine Festival, which has delicious limited-time additions such as the Impossible Al Pastor Taco, Smoked Honey-Habañero Chicken Wings, Elote Paleta, and Smoked Cherry Mezcal-iki Cocktail.
Dollywood (Tennessee)
As I have personally not been to Dollywood, I didn’t know that this park did festivals outside of end-of-the-year activities, but why would I think that? I have no clue!
Aside from their famous Smoky Mountain Christmas, they also run two other popular festivals – Flower & Food and Harvest Festival.
Their Flower & Food festival typically doesn’t have their menu out to the public until a week or so before the festival’s opening, however, they do offer a tasting pass. And since I suspect you’re a bit of a foodie like me, I’d say you should grab one!
2024’s pricing was $39.99 plus tax, per person, with passholders getting $3 off that price.
Knott’s Berry Farm (California)
With Knott’s’ Boysenberry Festival, Knott’s Berry Farm cements itself as one of the more unique festivals drawing in obscenely large crowds. This festival is their own Food & Wine festival and oh how they delight with the creativity!
From waffles, to beef tips, pizzas, drinks, and more, it is boysenberry heaven. I’m not kidding! Boysenberry Meatball Pizza, Jamabalay with Boysenberry Sausage, Chicken, & Shrimp, Boysenberry Mango Lemonade – the list goes on! And the best part?
They have tasting cards! In 2024 the cards were going for $55 for six tastings, which is a nice money-saver considering how expensive food at theme parks can be.
Universal Studios Orlando (Florida)
When Universal Studios isn’t hosting HHN (Hollywood Horror Nights), it’s hosting Mardi Gras International Flavors of Carnaval, a two-month-long parade of all things Fat Tuesday.
During 2023 their menu offered tastings from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, and of course the French Quarter, among so many others. It’s an interesting way to combine a “Food & Wine” under the Mardi Gras umbrella.
Last year (2024) the menus came from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Orleans, Phillipines, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Thailand. They also had a Bloody Mary bar, a Coca-Cola kiosk that used the drinks as marinade bases for food, and a French Quarter bar.
Universal offered a discounted food and beverage card of $65 for $75 worth of food (and if you’re a passholder – $120 for $150 worth of food), so next time I’d jump on that if that offer were to come back around.
Walt Disney World (Florida)
A giant like Disney wasn’t going to let anyone withhold money for eight months of the year now did you? As, what may very well be, the largest Food & Wine Festival in the country, Disney goes big with everything they do. Obviously.
They do also host Flower & Garden and the Festival of the Arts (all located at EPCOT) throughout the year, too. While all other festivals do have special menus, I’ll solely talk about Food & Wine.
During 2023’s offerings they had countries such as Australia, Belgium, Hawai’i (a US state), India, Ireland, and Kenya. In 2024, I was hoping to see some influence from Caribbean islands, Central American countries, and other African nations that are not Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, but they unfortunately didn’t deliver.
No matter what, Disney will always innovate as their menu during 2024 Food & Wine was practically all new, so if there’s one thing you’ll can come with is an empty stomach, a fat wallet, and stretchy pants!
The Complete List of Theme Park Festivals by Regions
If you haven’t gotten a chance to see our other festival guides – Halloween and Holiday – check them out! This list is only for festivals situated inside of the United States outside of the regular holiday season.
This list will come with omissions and mistakes, if you see something that isn’t here that should be, please let me know so I can look into it.
Midwest • Northeast • Southeast • Southwest • West Coast
Check out the festivals page for food guides, food reviews, etc.
🎡 = Confirmed date
Midwest
Cedar Point, OH
↳ Boardwalk Nights, TBD
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, IN
↳ Friday Night Live!, Fridays, August 22 – October 24 🎡
→ Holidays in the Sky, evenings of June 22 – August 4 🎡
→ Kids World, TBD (may not be returning; I will keep you updated)
Kings Island, OH
↳ Grand Carnivale, TBD
Silver Dollar City, MO
↳ Spring Exposition, April 10 – May 12 🎡
→ Bluegrass & BBQ, May 14 – 26 🎡
→ Summer Celebration, June 7 – August 3 🎡
→ Summer Nights, July 13 – August 4 🎡
→ Southern Gospel Picnic, August 21 – September 1 🎡
→ Harvest Festival, September 12 – October 25 🎡
Six Flags St. Louis, MO
↳ Coasters, Brews & BBQ, TBD
Six Flags Great America, IL
↳ Flavors of the World, Saturdays and Sundays, TBD
→ Great Summer Nights, Thursdays through Sundays, TBD
→ Oktoberfest, TBD
Northeast
Diggerland, NJ
↳ Diggerfest Fall Festival, Saturdays and Sundays, September 27 – November 16 🎡
Kennywood, PA
↳ Bites and Pints Festival, Fridays to Sundays, TBD
→ Celebrate Pittsburgh, Saturdays and Sundays, TBD
Idlewild & Soak Zone, PA
↳ Kids Fest, Saturdays and Sundays in June 🎡
→ Neighbor Days, Weekends, TBD
Legoland New York, NY
↳ Summer Sunday Nights, TBD
Sesame Place Philadelphia, PA
↳ Mardi Gras Celebration, February 15 – March 9 🎡
→ Elmo’s Eggstravaganza, March 29 – April 21 🎡
→ Elmo’s Springtacular, April 26 – June 15 🎡
→ Summer Splash, June 16 – September 1 🎡
Six Flags New England, MA
↳ Food & Brew Festival, Saturdays & Sundays, TBD
→ Oktoberfest, Saturdays & Sundays, TBD
Splish Splash, NY
↳ KidsFest, Saturdays & Sundays in June
Southeast
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, FL
↳ Mardi Gras, Fridays to Sundays, January 11 – March 2 🎡
→ Food & Wine Festival, Saturdays and Sundays, March to May
→ Kids’ Weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, January to February
→ Red, White & Brews, Fridays through Sundays, TBD
→ Summer Nights, May to September
→ Bourbon & BBQ, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, (may not be returning; I will keep you updated)
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, VA
↳ Mardi Gras, Fridays to Saturdays & President’s Day, January 24 – March 9 🎡
→ St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, March 13 – 17 🎡
→ Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends, Fridays to Sundays, March 21 – April 20 🎡
→ Food & Wine Festival, Thursdays through Sundays, April 24 – June 22 🎡
- Bonus Event: Food & Wine Festival 5K, May 4 🎡
→ Summer of Wonder, June 27 – July 31 🎡
→ Bier Fest Brews & BBQ, Fridays to Sundays & Labor Day, August 1 – September 1 🎡
Carowinds, NC
↳ Summer Music Fest, Saturdays and Sundays, TBD
Dollywood, TN
↳ I Will Always Love You Music Festival, March 14 – April 13 🎡
→ Flower & Food Festival, April 18 – June 8 🎡
→ Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration, June 14 – August 3 🎡
→ Harvest Festival, September 12 – October 27 🎡
Kings Dominion, VA
↳ Food and Wine Festival, TBD
Legoland Florida, FL
↳ Lego Ninjago Weekends, January 25, 26, February 1, 2, 8, 9, 15-17 🎡
SeaWorld Orlando, FL
↳ Elmo’s Birthday Celebration, January 27 – February 3 🎡
→ Seven Seas Food Festival, January 31 – May 4 🎡
- Mardi Gras, February 2025
- St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, March 2025
→ Cinco de Mayo, April 24 – May 5 🎡
→ Summer Spectacular, May 23 – September 1 🎡
- Viva La Música, May 10, 11, 17, and 18 🎡
- Bands, Brew & BBQ, Weekends, July 5 – August 24 🎡
Universal Studios Orlando, FL
↳ Mardi Gras International Flavors of Carnaval, February 1 – March 30
Recommended: Food Guide to Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras Festival (2024) • Food Review: Mardi Gras Festival (2024)
Walt Disney World, FL
↳ EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, January 17 – February 24 🎡
→ EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, March 5 – June 2 🎡
→ EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, TBD
→ Fall Into Magic at Disney Springs, Fall Season 2025 🎡
Recommended: Food Guide to EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts (2024) | Food Review: Arts Festival (2024) • Food Guide to EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival (2024) | Food Review: Flower & Garden Festival (2024) • A Foodie Guide to EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival (2024) + 2024 EPCOT Food and Wine Menu Prices
Wild Adventures, GA
↳ Wild Food Weekends, August 9 – 24 🎡
→ Great Pumpkin LumiNights, September 19 – October 26 🎡
Southwest
SeaWorld San Antonio, TX
↳ Mardi Gras, January 18 – March 2 🎡
→ St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, March 15 – 17 🎡
→ Seven Seas Food Festival, March 27 – May 18 🎡
- Cinco de Mayo, May 1 – 4 🎡
→ Fiesta Del Mar, April 24 – May 18 🎡
→ Summer Spectacular, May 23 – August 3 🎡
→ Red, White & BBQ, August 8 – September 1 🎡
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, TX
↳ Mardi Gras Festival & Taste of Mardi Gras Festival, January 18 – March 16 🎡
→ ¡Viva La Fiesta!, TBD
→ Summer Nights Spectacular, Saturdays, TBD
→ Oktoberfest Food Festival, TBD
Six Flags Frontier City, OK
↳ Oktoberfest Food Festival, TBD
Six Flags Over Texas, TX
↳ ¡Viva La Fiesta!, TBD
→ Oktoberfest Food Festival, Saturdays and Sundays, TBD
West Coast
California Great America, CA
↳ Food & Wine Festival, TBD
→ Carnivale at Orleans Place, TBD
Disneyland, CA
↳ California Adventure’s Food and Wine Festival, February 28 – April 21 🎡
→ Lunar New Year, January 17 – February 16 🎡
→ Star Wars Season of the Force, March 28 – May 11 🎡
→ Pixar Fest, TBD
→ Plaza de la Familia, August 22 – November 2 🎡
Knott’s Berry Farm, CA
↳ Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, February 8 – March 9 + President’s Day, February 17 🎡
→ Knott’s Boysenberry Festival, March 28 – April 27 🎡
→ Ghost Town Alive!, June 13 – September 1 🎡
→ Knott’s Summer Nights, June 13 – September 1 🎡
SeaWorld San Diego, CA
↳ Lunar New Year, February 1 – 9 🎡
→ Mardi Gras, January 25 – March 2 🎡
→ Seven Seas Food Festival, March 7 – April 27 🎡
→ Viva La Música, May 2 – 18 🎡
→ Summer Spectacular, May 23 – September 1 🎡
- Bayside Bands, Brew & BBQ, Returning in 2025!
Sesame Place San Diego, CA
↳ Elmo’s Furry Fun Fest, Weekends, January 11 – February 9 🎡
→ Mardi Gras Spectacular, February 15 – Mar 9 🎡
→ Elmo’s Springtacular, TBD
→ Sesame Summer Splash, TBD
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, CA
↳ ¡Viva La Fiesta!, May 24 – June 29 🎡
→ Oktoberfest, September 13 – November 2 🎡
Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA
↳ DC Heroes & Villains Fest, Saturdays and Sundays, TBD
→ Flavors of the World Food Festival, TBD
→ Summer Spectacular, TBD
→ Oktoberfest Food Festival, TBD
Pro-Tips for a Smooth Festival Season
If you’ve never gone to a theme park festival, it’s important to brush up on a few pro-tips before heading wherever you’re going. The nice thing is that these tips apply to a general day at any theme park, but they’re especially true during festivals as they can be more crowded than normal.
Alright, let’s do this!
1 – Purchase tickets in advance to avoid long lines. If there happen to be packages, look into those deals as they are money-savers.
We’re affiliate partners with Undercover Tourist, the leading discount theme park ticket broker. They not only help you save money on tickets into the park for regular park days, but if you’re going to a Disney or Universal-sponsored event they have discounted tickets for their hard-ticket events that’ll help ease the pain of parting with your hard-earned cash. There’s also options to save on hotels, cars, and a whole lot more, too.
2 – Arrive early to make the most of your day in the parks and arrive early for any parades or special events happening in the park. For parades that can mean being as early as an hour or two to get ideal viewing spots.
3 – Plan your visit on weekdays for a more relaxed experience, and don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes (I highly advise against wearing brand new shoes as you’ll wish you broke them in before – promise). Also, if you’re planning to spend an entire day at a park (e.g., EPCOT at Walt Disney World) I suggest you buy moleskin to help with chafing on softer parts of your feet.
4 – If you have young children in your group, please rent (or bring your own) strollers for them. They will not want to walk the average of 7-10 miles you can do a day at a theme park nor should they suffer and be forced to do so. You will have reasonably miserable children if you don’t.
5 – Check out the map for the park before heading into it and discuss what parts of the festival you’ll hit up (if there’s a festival map, otherwise, check out their generic map to get an idea of where things are generally). Then download the app for quick access to the map or download the digital version to your phone so you’re not on your phone all day.
I mention this as some parks have completely done away with paper maps (recently Knott’s Berry Farm has done this as of 2024) and you don’t want to be S.O.L trying to figure out where things are.
In addition to downloading the app for the map, it’s great for real-time ride queuing, too.
6 – If the festival has a food pass – get it. Most times they are a money-saver. At some parks, like Dollywood and Universal, they offer food passes, but Disney won’t. Check out our food guides beforehand, if we have them, or call the theme park to make sure you have accurate information regarding this and get the cost upfront so you can factor it into your budget.
7 – Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly, and don’t forget to stay hydrated in the heat.
8 – Bearing that in mind, please bring a reusable water bottle into the park, it can save you so much money like you wouldn’t believe. At many parks, asking for a cup of ice water is acceptable, and you can easily fill up your water bottle that way. PLEASE, I can’t stress enough the cost-savings here.
I’ve seen water bottles going for $5 a piece and if you’re constantly having to buy a bottle or two every few hours for a family of four that can be upwards of $50 solely on water. That’s 5 cases of water at home, no thanks!
9 – Engage with locals to learn about hidden gems within the festival and surrounding areas. Check out forums such as DISboards or Reddit for information.
That’s It!
Alrighty, as I wrap up our whirlwind tour of theme park festivals across the USA, one thing becomes clear – these events are more than just attractions; they’re experiences that leave lasting impressions.
Whether you find yourself on the East or West Coast, Midwest, or in the heart of the South, theme park festivals are offering a unique opportunity for families to make conscious choices in how they spend their time together outside of the every day “let’s head to a theme park today!” deal.
I hope that this guide was helpful and you find magic along the way. Enjoy!
And if you haven’t as of yet, please follow us on our other social media channels (YouTube, Instagram & Tik Tok – @themeparkbites) to stay up to date on food reviews. Thank you for allowing us to be your tasty theme park companion!