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9 things to do this weekend: MLK events, EPCOT International Festival of the Arts begins and more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Looking for something to do this weekend?

Here are nine events happening in Central Florida.

1. Eatonville Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Celebration

The Eatonville Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Celebration will be held Saturday at 2 p.m.

Those who attend can enjoy food, vendors, music and entertainment during the celebration.

Click here to learn more.

2. MLK Holiday Parade Showcase

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Southwest Orlando Jaycees and the Orlando Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission will host the downtown Orlando Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday parade showcase this weekend.

The showcase is free to the public and will start at 11 a.m. The event will have food trucks and will feature dance, comedy, community organizations, drumlines, music, artistic expression and so much more.

To learn more, click here.

READ: Florida man wins $13.75M Lotto jackpot

3. Hula Bowl

The 2022 Hula Bowl will be held at the Bounce House this weekend.

The bowl is a college football all-star game usually held in Hawaii. It was moved to Orlando this year due to Aloha Stadium near Honolulu being closed for renovations.

The game is scheduled to start at noon Saturday.

Click here to learn more about the game.

4. SPIRAL Tropical Bowl

The SPIRAL Tropical Bowl will also be held this weekend at Camping World Stadium.

The bowl showcases top college football seniors to NFL scouts and general managers who travel from around the country to the event.

To learn more about the bowl, click here.

5. 33rd Annual ZORA! Festival

The annual ZORA! Festival will continue this weekend in Eatonville.

READ: ZORA! Festival announces 2022 lineup: What to expect

The 2022 month long ZORA! Festival continues through to Sunday, Jan. 30, with weekday highlights that include the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts opening exhibition “Afrofuturism in the Visual Realm”; Art in Eatonville; Yards and Gardens Eatonville; Africa-America Women’s Forum; Afrofuturism Conference; and the ninth annual ZORA! STEM Conference for Middle School Students.

6. Steinmetz Hall opening ceremony

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will open Steinmetz Hall on Friday.

It’s said to be one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces.

An opening ceremony will be held from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday.

7. EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

The EPCOT® International Festival of the Arts kicks off this weekend.

Disney said the festival will celebrate the best of the visual, culinary and performing arts in one destination.

Click here to learn more.

8. Orlando Solar Bears vs. Wheeling Nailers

The Orlando Solar Bears will go head-to-head with the Wheeling Nailers at the Amway Center on Friday.

The game starts at 7 p.m.

To learn more. click here.

9. Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild

It’s the last weekend to check out “Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild” at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.

The display features more than 100 larger-than-life lanterns spread throughout the zoo.

The event runs at night, outside normal zoo operation hours, until Jan. 16.

READ: Central Florida Zoo opens ‘Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild’

Tickets for the event must be purchased online.

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Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.