Calendar of Events

January

Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl. New Year's Day kicks off with this football game in downtown Orlando. It pits the second-ranked teams from the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences against each other. Tickets are $65 before November 1 and $75 thereafter. Call tel. 800/297-2695 or 407/423-2476 for information or Ticketmaster at tel. 877/803-7073 or 407/839-3900 for tickets (on the Internet, visit www.fcsports.com). A free downtown parade is held a few days before the game and features marching bands and floats.

Walt Disney World Marathon. About 90% of the 16,000 runners finish this 26.2-mile "sprint" through the resort area and parks. It's open to anyone older than 18, including runners with disabilities as long as they are able to maintain the 16-minute mile pacing requirements. If you are unable to do so, you'll be picked up and transported to the finish line. The registration fee is $105 and includes race entry, a T-shirt, and a program -- those who finish receive a medal and other souvenir extras. The registration deadline is usually in early November, and preregistration is required. There's also a half-marathon ($95), Goofy's Race-and-a-Half Challenge (includes registration for both marathons; $195), and a Family Fun Run that includes shorter races for adults and kids ($30, if postmarked by Dec 26, $35 after that; $5 per child for the kids' races). Call tel. 407/939-7810 or go to www.disneysports.com. January 11 to January 13.

Zora Neale Hurston Festival. This 4-day celebration in Eatonville, the first incorporated African-American town in America, highlights the life and works of the author and is usually held the last weekend in January. Eatonville is 25 miles north of the theme parks. Admission is $5 to $15 for adults, $3 for kids younger than 17. Additional fees are charged for lectures or seminars. Call tel. 407/647-3959 or check out www.zoranealehurstonfestival.com.

Disney's Pirate & Princess Party. Magic Kingdom's newest after-hours event is held from late January to March (and sometimes in Aug). Future pirates and princesses can head out on a quest for treasure, filling their booty bags with beads and chocolate doubloons -- just look for the Xs on your treasure map. Party the night away at the pirate coves and princess courts where you'll find plenty of live interactive entertainment including Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial, Jasmine's Royal Guard Recruitment, and Sebastian's Undersea Dance party (among others). The highlights of the evening are Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade and the fireworks spectacular, "Magic, Music, and Mayhem." A separate admission fee is charged ($36.95 adults, $29.95 kids 3-9; add $6 a ticket if purchased the day of the event), and I strongly suggest purchasing tickets well in advance. For more information, call tel. 407/934-7639 or check Disney's website at www.disneyworld.com.

February

Atlanta Braves. The Braves have been holding spring training at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex since 1998. There are 15 home games during the 1-month season. (The team arrives in mid-Feb; games begin in early Mar.) Tickets are $14 to $23. You can get more information at tel. 407/939-GAME (4236) or www.disneysports.com. To purchase tickets, call Ticketmaster at tel. 877/803-7073 or 407/839-3900. You can also get online information at www.atlantabraves.com or www.majorleaguebaseball.com.

Houston Astros. The Astros train at Osceola County Stadium, 1000 Bill Beck Blvd., Kissimmee. Tickets are $17 to $20. Get them through Ticketmaster at tel. 866/448-7849 or 407/839-3900. For information, check the Astros' website at www.astros.com.

Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando. Floats, stilt walkers, live entertainment, and beads thrown to the crowd add to the fun of this event. A party to rival the original held in New Orleans, it's definitely geared for an adult crowd with plenty of drinking and carousing. Special discounted tickets are available allowing entrance to the park only after 5pm ($44.95), otherwise it's included in regular park admission ($67 adult). The celebration runs 1 night a week (usually Sat) from mid-February to mid-April. For information, call tel. 888/389-4783 or 407/363-8000, or go online to www.universalorlando.com.

Silver Spurs Rodeo. It features real yippee-I-O cowboys in calf-roping, bull riding, barrel racing, and more. This rodeo is the largest in the eastern United States. It's held at the Silver Spurs Arena, 1875 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. (U.S. 192), Kissimmee. It runs for 3 days in February. Call tel. 407/677-6336 or visit www.silverspursrodeo.com for details. Tickets cost $15.

March

Arnold Palmer Invitational. Hosted by Arnold Palmer and featuring Orlando-based golfers such as Tiger Woods, this PGA Tour event is held at the Bay Hill Club, 9000 Bay Hill Blvd. Daily admission is $35 to $45 and up for an adult, $15 ages 11 to 17. Call tel. 866/764-4843 or 407/876-7774, or check out www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com.

Sidewalk Arts Festival. Held in Winter Park's Central Park, this 3-day exhibition draws artists from all over North America from March 14 to March 16. The festival is consistently named one of the best in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. Admission is free, though you may have to pay for parking. Call tel. 407/672-6390, or go to www.wpsaf.org for details.

Viva La Musica. This celebration of Latin culture and music is held annually at SeaWorld. Festivities include concerts, and crafts and food displays throughout the park. There is no extra charge to join in the fun, which happens every Saturday in March. For more information and exact dates, head online to www.seaworld.com.

April

Florida Film Festival. The Enzian Theater has been showcasing American independent and foreign films for more than a decade. This annual event was named one of the top 10 such events in the world by The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 2nd Edition. Single tickets run $9. Call 407/644-6579, or check out www.floridafilmfestival.com.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. This 6-week-long event showcases gardens, topiary characters, floral displays, speakers, seminars, and nightly entertainment. The festival is free with regular park admission ($67 adults, $56 kids 3-9). For more information, call tel. 407/934-7639 or visit www.disneyworld.com. The festival kicks off in late April and goes through early June.

May

Orlando International Fringe Festival. More than 100 diverse acts from around the world participate in this eclectic event, held for 10 days in May at various venues in downtown Orlando. Entertainers perform drama, comedy, political satire, and experimental theater. Everything performed on outdoor stages, from sword swallowing to Hamlet, is available free to Fringe attendees after they purchase a festival button for about $6. Tickets for indoor events vary, but most are less than $10. Call tel. 407/648-0077 or visit www.orlandofringe.org for details.

Star Wars Weekends. Every year, Disney features a fan-fest full of activities for Star Wars fanatics. Characters are on hand for up-close meet-and-greets, as well as a handful of Star Wars actors. Games, parades, and special entertainment top off the festivities. The celebrations run for five consecutive weekends beginning in May and are included in park admission ($67 adult, $56 child).

June

Gay Days. The first weekend in June attracts tens of thousands of gays and lesbians to Central Florida for what amounts, with add-ons, to a week of festivities. It grew out of "Gay Day," held unofficially at Disney World since the early 1990s and drawing some 100,000 people to the area. Special events at Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld also cater to gays and lesbians. Look for online information on discounts, packages, hosts, and more at www.gayday.com or www.gaydays.com.

Wet 'n Wild Summer Nights. During the months of June and July you can ride and slide until 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights at this water park. Afternoon discounts are available year round ($37 adult, $31 kids 3-9).

July

Independence Day. Disney adds a bit of spark and sparkle to their fireworks displays at all the Disney parks, which stay open later than normal. Call tel. 407/934-7639 for details or surf over to www.disneyworld.com. SeaWorld (tel. 407/351-3600; www.seaworld.com) features a dazzling laser/fireworks spectacular. There's also a free fireworks display in downtown Orlando at Lake Eola Park. For information, call tel. 407/246-2827. Other fireworks events are listed in the local newspaper, the Orlando Sentinel.

Tampa Bay Bucs. The NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers run their training camp at the Wide World of Sports Complex from late July through August. For information call tel. 407/939-GAME (4236) or go to www.buccaneers.com for more information.

September

Night of Joy. The first weekend (Thurs-Sun) in September, the Magic Kingdom hosts a festival of contemporary Christian music featuring top artists. This is a very popular event, so obtain tickets early. Performers also make an appearance at Long's Christian Bookstore in College Park, about 20 minutes north of Disney. Admission (if you buy in advance) to the concert is $39.95 for 1 night (7:30pm-12:30am), $67.95 for 2 nights; single-night admission at the gate is $44.95. Use of Magic Kingdom attractions is included. Call tel. 407/934-7639 for concert details; for information about the free appearance at Long's, call tel. 407/422-6934. Universal has gone head-to-head with Disney on this one, scheduling its Rock the Universe concert the same weekend (tel. 866/788-4636). Big-name Christian bands and speakers headline the event. Tickets (which include admission to the parks after 4pm) cost $37 for 1 night or $60 for both nights of the event. A package including both nights of celebration, as well as 3 full days of admission to the parks (Fri-Sun), runs $91.

October

Orlando Magic Basketball. The NBA team plays half of its 82-game regular season between October and April at the Amway Arena, 600 W. Amelia Street. Ticket prices range from $10 to $115. A few tickets, usually single seats, are often available the day before games involving lesser-known NBA challengers. Call tel. 407/916-2400 for details, 866/448-7849 or 407/839-3900 for tickets. Online go to www.nba.com/magic.

Halloween Horror Nights. Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure (tel. 888/389-4783 or 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com) transforms its grounds on select nights during October and into November into haunted attractions. Live entertainment and special shows, hundreds of ghouls and goblins roaming the streets, along with specially designed haunted houses make for a truly terrifying experience. The park essentially closes at dusk, reopening in a new macabre form from 7pm to midnight or later. Full admission ($67 adults) is charged for this event, which is definitely geared to grown-ups (as the liquor flows freely and the frightfulness is truly that). Note that guests are not permitted to wear costumes (so that Universal employees can spot their peers).

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The Magic Kingdom (tel. 407/934-7639; www.disneyworld.com) invites you to join Mickey and his pals for a far-from-frightening time. In this one, you can come in costume and trick-or-treat throughout the Magic Kingdom from 7pm to midnight on any of 10 or so nights. The alcohol-free party includes parades, live music, and storytelling. The climax is a bewitching fireworks spectacular. Unlike the celebration at Universal Studios, this one is completely family-friendly. A separate admission fee is charged ($45.95 adults, $37.95 kids 3-9; subtract $6 if purchased in advance), and you should get tickets well in advance.

The FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World. Top PGA tour players compete at WDW golf courses during the month of October. Many tour professionals, including Tiger Woods, call Orlando home, so there's usually plenty of first-rate talent on display. Daily ticket prices range from $15 to $35. Tickets for the 4-day event run about $50. For information, contact Walt Disney World Golf Sales, P.O. Box 10000, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (tel. 407/939-2272; www.disneyworld.com). You also can get tickets through Ticketmaster (tel. 866/448-7849 or 407/839-3900).

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Here's your chance to sip and savor the food and beverages of more than 20 cultures. More than 100 wineries from across the United States participate. Events include wine tastings for adults, seminars, food, dinners, concerts, and celebrity-chef cooking demonstrations. Tickets for the dinner-and-concert series or wine tastings are $35 to $175 including gratuity; signature dinners and vertical wine tastings are $60 to $195. The event also features 26 food-and-wine marketplaces where appetizer-size portions of dishes ranging from pizza to escargot (and everything in between) sell for less than $6 each. Entrance to the festival is included in park admission. Call tel. 407/934-7639 for details or check out www.disneyworld.com. Early October to mid-November.

November

ABC Super Soap Weekend. If you're a fan of ABC's daytime soaps, this is one you won't want to miss. Soap celebs are on hand for parades, parties, Q and As, music, and more in this weekend catering to fans and fanatics alike. The events are included with Disney-MGM Studios admission ($67 adults, $56 kids 3-9). Call tel. 407/397-6808 or check out www.disneyworld.com for details.

Walt Disney World Festival of the Masters. One of the largest art shows in the South takes place at Downtown Disney Marketplace for 3 days during the second weekend in November. The exhibition features more than 150 top artists, photographers, and craftspeople, all winners of juried shows throughout the country. You can listen to the music of the jazz festival or enjoy one of the many family activities all for free. Call tel. 407/934-7639 or visit www.disneyworld.com.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. This classic holiday attraction returned by popular demand after being closed down for renovations in 2004 and 2005. Lighting up the nights at the Disney-MGM Studios are millions of sparkling bulbs acquired from a family whose Christmas light collection got a bit too bright for their neighbors. The holiday display runs from November to early January.

December

Christmas at Walt Disney World. During the holiday festivities, Main Street in the Magic Kingdom is lavishly decked out with twinkling lights and Christmas holly, all the while carolers are greeting visitors throughout the park. Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom also offer special embellishments and entertainment throughout the holiday season, and the Disney resorts are decked out with towering Christmas trees, wreaths, boughs, and bows.

Some holiday highlights include Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, an after-dark (7pm-midnight) ticketed event ($45.95 adults, $37.95 kids 3-9). This takes place on select nights at the Magic Kingdom and offers a festive parade, fireworks, special shows, and admission to a handful of rides. Also included are cookies, cocoa, and a souvenir photo.

Holidays Around the World and the Candlelight Procession at Epcot feature hundreds of carolers, storytellers from a host of international countries, celebrity narrators telling the Christmas story, a 450-voice choir, and a 50-piece orchestra in a very moving display. Fireworks are included. Regular admission ($67 adults, $56 kids 3-9) is required. Call tel. 407/934-7639 for details on all of the above or go to www.disneyworld.com. The holiday fun lasts from mid-December to early January.

Macy's Holiday Parade. That's not a typo! Universal and Macy's (the latter a tenant at the Mall at Millenia) offer a smaller version of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at Universal Studios Florida. It runs from mid-December to early January, featuring several of the floats and gigantic balloons from the original New York City parade (tel. 407/363-8000; www.universalorlando.com). Park admission ($67 for adults, $56 for kids 3-9) is required. Over at Islands of Adventure, even the Grinch celebrates the holidays at Seuss Landing, which is decked out like Whoville for the holidays, including wintry decorations and "Whos" running all about to create a festive mood.

Walt Disney World New Year's Eve Celebration. For 1 night a year, the Magic Kingdom stays open until the wee hours for a massive fireworks explosion. Other New Year's festivities in WDW include a big (and pricey -- $89 a pop) bash at Pleasure Island featuring major music headliners, a special Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness, and guest performances by well-known musical groups at Disney-MGM Studios and Epcot. Call tel. 407/934-7639 for details or visit www.disneyworld.com. December 31.