One of the things I love most about Central Florida is that our 80-plus arts and cultural festivals tell a very authentic story about who we are as a vibrant and accessible arts and cultural community.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of helping bring new festival concepts to life. I’ve seen firsthand the important role festivals play in creating connection and belonging for people from all different cultures, ages, passions and lifestyles.
Research tells us that attending a festival can be one of the easiest ways to begin feeling connected to a new community. For visitors, festivals offer an authentic glimpse into the creativity, traditions and stories that shape our region. And for locals, these events create opportunities to reconnect with neighbors and experience the place we call home in new ways.
Festivals are often the front door to experiencing a region’s culture. They support artists and creative entrepreneurs, highlight local organizations, encourage cultural tourism and help build communities where people truly feel welcome.
Such gatherings remind us that the arts belong to all of us, not just inside a theater, museum or concert hall, but also outdoors in our parks, neighborhoods and public spaces. Locally, there are at least 21 music festivals, 15 film festivals and many more regional art and cultural festivals that celebrate what makes our region such a special place to live and visit.
According to the latest data from our partners at Visit Orlando, 19% of domestic visitors participated in a cultural activity in 2025. With nearly 77 million visitors traveling here annually, that means approximately 15 million people from around the world discovered what our creative community has to offer.
And I can promise you that those offerings are as diverse as they are entertaining. Over Thanksgiving weekend, for example, we’ll celebrate the 9th annual FusionFest—originally launched by Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs—as the multicultural celebration launches an exciting new chapter with a new location in Loch Haven Cultural Park.
The festival attracts more than 20,000 attendees annually and brings together people from more than 110 cultures for a free, two-day celebration that features music, dance, food, visual arts, spoken word, games and interactive experiences.
Loch Haven Cultural Park is home to 11 of our anchor arts and science organizations and is a perfect home for festivals. As our region’s destination for inspiration, the park—also home to the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival—has long been a place where art, culture, curiosity and community come together.
Another major festival on the horizon is IMMERSE—developed and presented by Creative City Project—which is scheduled for February 19 to 21, 2027, in Downtown Orlando. This signature event combines large-scale art installations, acrobatics, street performances and experiential projections.
So, as you can see, while much of the country is bundling up indoors, Central Florida is enjoying beautiful weather and gathering outdoors. The year-round festival calendar has become such a crucial part of our cultural identity that United Arts of Central Florida’s Cultural Tourism team curated #FestivalMode.
This multichannel cultural tourism marketing campaign, which runs in January and February, promotes the region’s massive concentration of winter arts, music and heritage events.
We believe that festivals create meaningful opportunities for people to connect with the arts and with one another. While the way we experience festivals continues to evolve, their purpose remains the same. They bring creativity into shared spaces and invite everyone to be part of the cultural story of our community.
I hope our paths cross at a festival soon.
JENNIFER EVINS
President & CEO
United Arts of Central Florida
