Friends, Food and the Festival of the Masters

This weekend was the annual Festival of the Masters art fair located at Downtown Disney. Being the Disney/art geek that I am, I headed out to see if the fair had changed since last year. After my slightly disappointing discovery last week that the Food & Wine festival at Epcot was only ever so slightly tweaked this year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Festival of the Masters was refreshingly new for 2012.

In addition to incorporating more artwork in general this year, there was also a large addition to the amount of chalk artists present. Their work lined sidewalks and made for a tremendously fun way to pass time. When I walked into the fair, the chalk artists were hard at work creating their chosen pictures. By the time I left in the evening, their masterpieces were complete. Usually, I tend to be an art snob that considers art to only be some sort of incredible creation. Not that the chalk images are the next best thing since Claude Monet- but I do have a new-found admiration for this type of art and consider it to be of more talent and value than that of a Jackson Pollock paint vomit canvas (bring on the haters).

Naturally all the walking from the art fair worked up a ravenous appetite. In our search for food, we stumbled upon a special cupcake created just for the Festival of the Masters. As soon as I was done reading the word cupcake, I was headed inside to try it and start dinner out on the right foot- with a sugar rush. Although it was super chocolately and therefore super rich, it was also super delicious! I still think the best part about being an adult is being able to eat a backwards dinner whenever I like.

Ok so all kidding aside, cupcakes didn’t cut it and we resorted to a more substantial dinner at the House of Blues. After waiting what felt like two hours, and having some of the worst service from a wait staff that I have ever experienced, we scarfed down some delicious pasta and kept our night moving right along. Here is my two cents regarding dining at Downtown Disney- if you must eat there, get there around 5pm when the wait times are short. Unless you are dying for House of Blues, avoid it at all costs. All restaurants are Disney style overpriced and the food is decent. If you are going to eat, I suggest a restaurant that offers an experience as well. And that is all I have to say about that.

Getting back to what is important here- the Festival of the Masters was a great time to enjoy the beautiful Florida fall weather, see creativity at work and spend time with friends. At the end of the day, I left with a fully belly, a few blisters and a smile from ear to ear. The best things in life are truly free! Unless they are cupcakes I have to pay for…

Until next time,

Stephanie