Sheila E., Jeffrey Osborne, Boyz II Men and Living Colour Among 32 Artists to Perform at 23rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The aromas and flavors of more than 30 global food and beverage marketplaces, plus a full menu of new offerings such as “Sunday Brunch with the Chef” series, will welcome guests during the 23rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Aug. 30-Nov. 12, 2018. Guests will have a chance to meet their favorite celebrity chefs, try a new Food & Beverage Pairing in the Festival Center each Friday through Sunday, get their gourmet groove on at nightly Eat to the Beat Concert Series shows and more.

Celebrity Chefs

A-listers from the culinary world bring their talents to Walt Disney World to delight guests and inspire palates. Guests catch mealtime maestros in action at exclusive events, such as Party for the Senses, and special culinary demonstrations. Some of the celebrity chefs participating include:

  • Huda Mu’min (Sept. 20 and Sept. 22) – Founder and CEO of Chef Huda’s Kitchen, a unique culinary company specializing in healthy comfort food; record-setting winner of Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” and fan favorite on ABC’s “The Taste”
  • Dana Herbert (Oct. 4 and Oct. 6) – Winner of TLC’s “Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker” and expert sugar artist is best known as “The Sugar Daddy” because of his work with pulled and blown sugar
  • Jennifer Hill-Booker (Oct. 10 and Oct. 13) – Cooking style is a modern reinvention of Southern cuisine that incorporates seasonal ingredients with French culinary techniques; studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Paris
  • Carla Hall (Oct. 28) – Former co-host of the popular ABC TV show “The Chew” and competitor on “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All-Stars”; Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, the chef’s first restaurant, features iconic Nashville Hot Chicken and Southern sides
  • Rock Harper (Nov. 8 and Nov. 10) – Widely known as “Chef Rock” following his win on the third season of the Fox TV show “Hell’s Kitchen” (hosted by Gordon Ramsay); recently launched his own imprint, RockSolid Creative Food Group LLC, and the Chef Rock Xperiment Podcast.

 

 
Eat to the Beat Concert Series

Thirty-two musical acts will perform during the 23rd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. These performers represent a diverse collection of hitmakers from pop to country to R&B and more. They comprise a powerful lineup ready to rock the America Gardens Theatre stage at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. daily. The lineup includes:

  • Baha Men (Sept. 14-16) – The band revived the deep musical legacy of the Bahamas and achieved world fame with the hit song “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
  • Sheila E. (Sept. 22-23) – She began her career as a percussionist and soon thereafter launched a successful solo singing career with hits such as “The Glamorous Life.”
  • Living Colour (Sept. 20-21) – The New York City rock group known for “Cult of Personality” released a new album, “Shade,” just last year.
  • Jeffrey Osborne (Sept. 29-30) – The legendary R&B singer known for “On the Wings of Love,” among many other hits.
  • Kenny G (Oct. 22-23) – This master of the soprano sax is one of the biggest-selling musicians of all time.
  • Billy Ocean (Oct. 24-25) – An international pop and R&B star of the ’70s and ’80s, who rose to fame with hits such as “Caribbean Queen” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car.”
  • Boyz II Men (Nov. 5-7) – Recognized as one of the most successful musical groups of the ’90s by Billboard magazine, with hits such as “End of the Road” and “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.”

Latest Festival Buzz:

  • The NEW Taste Track global marketplace featuring specialty croissant doughnuts (add gelato for an extra-sweet treat) joins dozens of popular returning marketplaces. For a fourth year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer brand-new taste sensations. Disney chefs are in the kitchen whipping up delicious new bites like Butternut Squash Ravioli with brown butter vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds at The Wine & Dine Studio; Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak with smoked corn cake, pickled vegetable slaw and cilantro aïoli at Flavors from Fire; and New Brunswick Slider, slow-braised beef brisket “pot roast-style” on a potato roll with horseradish cream, crispy fried onions and pickled vegetables on the side at the Hops & Barley.
  • The NEW “Sunday Brunch with the Chef” series in World ShowPlace will kick off Sept. 2 with Top Chef All-Star Richard Blais and continue on select Sundays through Nov. 11 with a lineup that includes Jamie Deen, Tiffani Thiessen, Masaharu Morimoto, Buddy Valastro, Art Smith, Geoffrey Zakarian, Carla Hall and Alex Guarnaschelli.
  • The grandest of the festival’s don’t-miss tasting events, Party for the Senses at World ShowPlace will welcome acclaimed chefs and vintners Sept. 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 and Nov. 10 to showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips with sensational live entertainment.
  • “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops Wednesdays and Thursdays will offer new opportunities for guests to interact with visiting chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros.

Included with Epcot Admission

Back to Basics series, book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Guests can call (407) WDW-FEST (939-3378) to make reservations and find more details at TasteEpcot.com.

Boyz II Men, Jeffrey Osborne and Kenny G Take the Stage at 22nd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

With an expanded lineup of popular performers and a team of A-list celebrity chefs creating new dishes, the 22nd Epcot International Food & Wine Festival brings the best of the best to celebrate 35 years of Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort.

The annual Disney tour of tastes is expanding in 2017 for a longer-than-ever 75-day run, from August 31-November 13. Growing in scope as one of America’s top food festivals each year since 1996, the Epcot event will run for 13 additional days of inspired sips and bites throughout the park’s World Showcase and Future World areas. Guests will have a chance to mix and mingle with celebrity chefs, experience hands-on culinary workshops and demonstrations at the Festival Center, and get their gourmet groove on at nightly Eat to the Beat concerts.

Celebrity Chefs

A-listers of the culinary world bring their talent to Walt Disney World once more to delight guests and inspire palates. Catch your favorite mealtime maestros in action at exclusive events, such as Party for the Senses, and special culinary demonstrations. Some of the celebrity Chefs participants include:

  • Erika Cline (Oct. 5 and Oct. 7) – Creator of her own chocolate boutique, Bleu Chocolat, in the Virgin Islands. The bean-to-bar chocolate boutique that showcases cocoas of many different origins.
  • Huda Mu’min (Oct. 6 and Oct. 7) – Record setting winner of Food Network’s Cut Throat Kitchen, host of The Kitchen Table and fan favorite on ABC’s The Taste.
  • Dana Herbert (Oct. 07 and Oct. 9) – The winner of TLC’s “Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker” is an expert sugar artist best known as “The Sugar Daddy” because of his work with pulled and blown sugar.
  • Jennifer Hill-Booker (Oct. 13 and Oct. 14) – Her cooking style is a modern reinvention of Southern cuisine that incorporates seasonal ingredients with French culinary techniques she learned at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Paris.
  • Carla Hall (Nov. 3) – Co-Host of the popular ABC TV show “The Chew” and competitor on Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars.
  • Kenny Gilbert (Nov. 10 and Nov. 11) – Top Chef Season 7 contestant and owner of Gilbert’s Underground Kitchen in Fernandina Beach, FL, Gilbert’s Social in Jacksonville, Fla. as well as his own spice blend line.

In addition to her appearance in November, celebrity chef Carla Hall will join her fellow co-hosts of ABC TV’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series “The Chew” at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.  For the third consecutive year the series will tape five shows on the Epcot stage on October 4-6. The shows will air October 9-13, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET12 p.m. PDT on the ABC Television Network.

Eat to the Beat Concert Series

Eleven new-to-the-festival bands, including Kenny G. and Baha Men will join 21 fan-favorite musical acts for a diverse lineup of artists set to rock America Gardens Theatre stage throughout the festival’s 75-day run.

Each night during the Festival, the stage lights up with some of the industry’s top recording artists including:

  • Baha Men – The band that revived the deep musical legacy of the Bahamas and achieved world fame with the hit song “Who Let the Dogs Out” will perform Sept. 4-5.
  • Kenny G – One of the biggest-selling musicians of the modern era, this master of the soprano sax will perform October 23-24.
  • Jeffrey Osborne – Known for his song “On the Wings of Love,” he will be performing on Oct. 14-15.
  • Billy Ocean – The international pop and R&B star of the ‘70s and ‘80s, who rose to fame with hits such as “Caribbean Queen” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” will perform on Oct. 25-26.
  • Living Colour – Known for their song “Cult of Personality,” and with a new album coming out this fall, this popular band will perform some of their top hits on Nov. 4-5.
  • Boyz II Men – Recognized as one of the most successful musical groups of the ‘90s by Billboard magazine, this top-ranking band will bring its famous a capella harmonies to the stage on Nov. 6-8.

Happenings at The Festival Center

At The Festival Center, guests can stop start off their culinary adventure and get helpful information, including a park map, Times Guide and Festival Passports (also available at select Epcot locations).

The Festival Center is also home to:

  • Festival Center Wine Shop: Choose from an incredible selection of wines and spirits from prestigious makers featured throughout the Festival.
  • Intermissions Café: Recharge and relax with mouthwatering menu options perfect for day or night noshing.
  • Back to Basics Series: Discover delish tips and tricks from the industry’s top culinary pros! These helpful hints will have a profound effect on your next meal.
  • Book Signings and Meet & Greets: Meet celebrated authors and other food-and-wine-industry personalities.
  • Bottle Signings: Rub elbows with some of the world’s top beverage experts!
  • Seasons of the Vine: Get a behind-the-vines look at the process that transforms delicate grapes into the “nectar of the gods”—step by nectarous step.
  • The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar – Hosted by Ghirardelli® Chocolate Company: Marvel at chocolate sculptures created by our own Walt Disney World Resort pastry chefs, and explore the journey chocolate must take to get from the bean to the bar.

 

Included with Epcot Admission

Back to Basics series, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) and get details at www.EpcotFoodFestival.com