Free Activities at Disney's 2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

It's that time of year again! The 2009 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival details have been announced. Now's the time to figure out how to get yourself to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, sometime between September 25th and November 9th!

All of the festival details can be found on the Disney World website, and while there are some fantastic special events available for booking, what really catches my eye are the foodie events that are free (or very low-cost) with your theme park admission!

International Food Kiosks

Every year, Epcot creates a "melting pot" of cultural cuisine throughout its World Showcase. This year, 25 kiosks will serve specially prepared dishes from countries on six continents. Just pay for your admission to the Epcot Theme Park, and you'll have access to sample tastes from Greece, China, Ireland, Italy, Australia, and more. Dishes can be purchased from the kiosks - each representing a different country or region - in tapas-sized portions for around $3-7 per item.

This year, Disney unveils several brand new kiosks, including Thailand, serving Chicken and Coconut Soup, Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp, and Singha Beer;  and Brazil, serving Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime, Grilled Pork Skewer with Farofa, and Leblon Frozen Caipirinha.

Seminars and Demonstrations

Disney works hard to bring together some of the top experts in the wining and dining field for the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot each year, and, luckily, we're the beneficiaries!

Several seminars and demonstrations take place throughout the festival that are accessible to everyone either free or low-cost. For example, Wine and Beverage Seminars are a delightful way to spend 45 minutes - learn from an expert wine- or beverage-maker a few tips and tricks about their area of expertise, and sample some specially selected vintages yourself! And you can meet your favorite food author at the Authors without Borders series: 30-minute conversations with world-renowned writers. You can even explore the History of Beer in America, hosted by the Boston Beer Company. These are just a few of the any opportunities that take place many times per day during the 7-week festival.

Eat to the Beat Concerts

Finally, if you're a child of the 80s or 90s, you'll want to reserve your seat at the Eat to the Beat concerts. Again, free with your Epcot admission, the concerts take place daily at 5:15 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:45 p.m.  and highlight your favorite groups and solo artists, including Richard Marx, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Kool & the Gang, Boyz II Men, Taylor Dayne, and Billy Ocean. No need to pay for tickets for these concerts - just arrive early and ready to rock!

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is something everyone can enjoy - even if you're not willing or able to pay for some of the more expensive special events. Come early, come hungry, and get ready to turn into a foodie!