Highlights of the 2010 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

The 2010 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival begins on March 3 and runs through May 16 and will feature millions of flowers, a large collection of Disney-themed topiaries and several new exhibits.

Each weekend, Walt Disney World will also be featuring a lineup of live performances in the America Gardens Theatre, so you can enjoy an evening of music after a day of exploring the gardens and playing at the theme park. Here are some of the highlights of this year's Epcot Flower and Garden Festival:

Garden Town Breakfast
A special welcome breakfast is available on March 21, April 18 and May 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and features chef-prepared meals made with ingredients from the Land Pavilion at Epcot. Guests can enjoy a gourmet breakfast while learning about some of the culinary techniques and horticulturist techniques used to prepare their meal. Theme park admission is required, and the breakfast event costs $60 per person.

Bambi's Butterfly House
This year's butterfly showcase will be located in Future World West, and will be double the size of previous butterfly gardens, accommodating for over 700 butterflies from around the globe. You can walk through this beautiful exhibit to see the Bambi topiaries and hundreds of different species of butterflies up close.

Peter Pan Topiary
Make your way to the Germany Pavilion at Epcot to see the Peter Pan, Captain Hook and other Peter Pan characters in a colorful interactive exhibit with a pirate theme. This is one of the newer exhibits at Epcot for the 2010 flower festival, and is sure to entertain kids and adults of all ages.

New Victory Garden
The Victory Garden is a new display for the 2010 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, and pays tribute to the history of World War II gardens. This exhibit features a White House vegetable garden and you can catch topiaries of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy.

Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden
If you're a fan of Tinker Bell and the Disney fairies, don't miss out on the beautiful displays in the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden. This year's exhibit is larger than ever, and the topiaries are designed as all your favorite Disney fairy characters. Visitors can participate in hands-on activities and watch video presentations of the making of the fairy garden this season. This area also features play structures for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years.

Fragrance Garden in France
Head to the France pavilion to learn about the history of perfume making, the role of flowers and botanicals in perfume making. The Fragrance Garden is a showcase of flowers and plants used in many designer fragrances today, and is a treat for anyone interested in learning about perfume.

Great American Gardeners Series
The director of the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando and several gardening experts and authors will be hosting talks and workshops at Epcot each week of the festival. Make sure you pick up a schedule of events for your day at Epcot to learn some expert tips and techniques, and stop by the Garden Town Festival Center to see presentations and demonstrations.

Other not-to-be missed events at the 2010 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival include: the Florida Farmer's Market celebration April 23 through 25, the Art in the Garden celebration March 26 through 28, and the I Dig Bugs event scheduled for April 30 through May 2.

Admission to the 2010 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is included with theme park admission. The complete festival guide and map can be found here.