Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show 2026: Free Admission, $10 Parking and What to Know Before You Go

The Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show returns Oct. 2–4 with remodeling contractors, kitchens and baths, landscaping, outdoor living, gardening, cooking demonstrations, family activities and more. Admission is completely free this year, and there is also a discounted $10 parking option at the convention center.

If you’ve been staring at a kitchen that needs updating, thinking about replacing old windows, planning a backyard makeover or simply wondering what on earth will actually grow in Central Florida without surrendering to the heat, there’s a useful event coming up next weekend.

The 16th Annual Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show runs Friday through Sunday, October 2–4, 2026, at Orange County Convention Center.

And here’s the first thing Orlando homeowners should know:

Admission is free.

Not discounted.

Not free for children while adults pay.

The organizer currently lists admission at $0 for adults, seniors and children for all three days, courtesy of show sponsor Spa Manufacturers. Home and Garden Shows

That makes this one of the easier events to recommend for anyone with even one home project floating around in the back of their mind.

When Is the Orlando Home & Garden Show?

The 2026 fall show runs:

Friday, Oct. 2: noon–5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

The show is in the West Concourse, Halls B2 and B3, at 9800 International Drive. Home and Garden Shows

That’s worth writing down before you leave.

The Orange County Convention Center is enormous, and simply typing “Orange County Convention Center” into GPS without knowing whether your event is in the West or North-South building is a good way to add unnecessary walking to your day.

For this event:

West Concourse. Halls B2 and B3.

The Best News May Actually Be the Parking Price

Convention-center parking can sometimes erase the benefit of a free event.

This time, the organizer is advertising discounted parking for $10 plus tax for Home & Garden Show visitors. You can either show the event’s parking QR code to the attendant or reserve through the convention center’s parking system using access code 50013 after selecting your date. Payments are cashless and include credit/debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Home and Garden Shows

That’s a useful deal.

I’d still leave extra time.

The convention center is hosting other events during the same Oct. 2–4 weekend, including another multi-day event on the property, so International Drive and the parking areas could be busy. OCCC Events

The practical strategy is simple:

Know you’re going to the West Concourse before you leave home.

This Isn’t Just a Gardening Show

The name can be slightly misleading.

You don’t need to own a vegetable garden or know the difference between a perennial and an annual to find something useful here.

The organizer’s current show lineup covers a broad range of home projects including kitchens and bathrooms, contractors and remodelers, roofs, gutters, foundation work, windows and doors, garage and closet organization, solar power, generators and interior design. Home and Garden Shows

That’s particularly useful if you’re in the early stages of a project.

Instead of spending several evenings searching individual contractors online, you can walk through the show and have short conversations with several companies in the same afternoon.

You may not hire anyone that day.

In fact, there’s a good argument for not hiring anyone that day.

But you can learn a tremendous amount.

If You’re Remodeling, Bring Photos

This is probably the easiest way to make the show more useful.

Don’t just walk up to a kitchen remodeler and say:

“We’re thinking about changing our kitchen.”

Take pictures.

Measure the room.

Know roughly where the doors, windows and appliances are located.

If you’re looking at flooring, know the approximate square footage.

If you’re considering windows, know roughly how many need replacing.

If it’s landscaping, bring pictures of the front and back yard.

The official event information specifically encourages visitors to bring photographs when speaking with design professionals. Home and Garden Shows

The more information you bring, the more useful the conversation becomes.

Windows, Roofs and Generators Make This Particularly Relevant in Florida

Some home-show categories are interesting.

Others are especially relevant to living in Central Florida.

Windows and doors.

Roofing.

Generators.

Solar power.

Tree trimming.

Drainage.

Outdoor shade.

Those aren’t simply aesthetic upgrades here.

They’re tied directly to Florida weather and how our homes perform through heat, storms and heavy rain.

The show’s current exhibitor categories include contractors working in many of those areas, along with solar and alternative-energy companies. Home and Garden Shows

If you’re considering a major project, this is an opportunity to ask the same questions of multiple companies.

How long is the warranty?

What maintenance is required?

Is permitting included?

What isn’t included in the quoted price?

Who actually performs the installation?

Those answers can vary more than you might expect.

But Don’t Sign a $30,000 Contract Because Someone Says “Show Special”

Home shows are designed to sell things.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

But homeowners should still do their homework.

If a contractor offers a special price that requires you to sign immediately, you don’t have to.

Collect the information.

Get a written estimate.

Then verify the contractor.

Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation provides an official license-search system where homeowners can verify a contractor by name, company or license number and see the license status. MyFloridaLicense

Verify a Florida contractor license with DBPR

For an expensive roof, window, kitchen, bath or remodeling project, we’d still get more than one quote.

The show is an excellent place to start shopping.

It doesn’t have to be the place where you finish.

Central Florida Gardeners May Find the Outdoor Side More Useful

October is also good timing for Orlando gardeners.

The show currently advertises landscaping and hardscape companies, local gardening experts, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, grills, patio furniture, lighting, pavers, planters, spas and garden products. Home and Garden Shows

There’s also a 1,000-square-foot Home Garden Design Showcase and large plant-sale area featuring local nurseries. Home and Garden Shows

For someone who moved here from another state, talking to local gardening experts can be particularly useful.

Florida gardening has a learning curve.

Our soil is different.

Our heat is different.

Our rainfall is different.

Our growing seasons are different.

And plants that looked wonderful in a garden magazine from Pennsylvania may be considerably less impressed with an Orlando August.

There Are Tiny and Small-Footprint Homes Too

One of the show’s more unusual exhibits focuses on small-footprint living.

The organizer says more than 18,000 square feet of park-model and small-home displays are planned, including models from companies such as Coleman, Forest River and Keystone. Home and Garden Shows

Even if you have no intention of downsizing into one, these can be interesting to walk through.

Small spaces force designers to think much more carefully about storage, furniture placement and multifunctional rooms.

Some of those ideas transfer surprisingly well to ordinary homes.

Backyard Offices and Sheds Have Become Their Own Category

The show also leans heavily into outdoor structures.

Current features include He Shed/She Shed displays, more than 1,200 square feet of backyard-office inspiration and outdoor-storage options. Home and Garden Shows

That’s another category that has evolved considerably.

A shed doesn’t necessarily mean somewhere Dad keeps the lawn mower anymore.

It can be:

A home office.

Workshop.

Art studio.

Gym.

Craft room.

Or simply a place to move something out of the house.

With Central Florida homes increasingly serving multiple purposes, a small detached structure can sometimes be a more realistic project than adding an entire room.

This Year Is Surprisingly Family-Friendly

If one adult wants to look at countertops and everyone else hears the phrase “Home & Garden Show” and begins searching for excuses not to go, the event organizers seem to understand the problem.

The current 2026 show page advertises free children’s crafts, cooking activities, an owl meet-and-greet, wildlife encounters, a butterfly experience, a Bass Pro outdoor display, dog-training demonstrations and a dinosaur fossil-dig activity among the family features. Home and Garden Shows

The wildlife exhibit is expected to feature animals such as sloths, kangaroos, monkeys and micro-pigs.

The butterfly room is a paid add-on—the organizer currently lists $5 admission and $5 nectar-feeding sticks—while its associated educational presentations are free. Home and Garden Shows

So families can attend without turning this into an adults-only errand.

The First 50 Kids Each Day Have Another Reason to Arrive Early

Here’s one perk worth knowing before you go.

The organizer says the first 50 children age 12 and younger each day will receive free tickets to Crayola Experience Orlando. Home and Garden Shows

If that’s something your family would use anyway, arriving early suddenly has another benefit.

As with all giveaways, quantities are limited, so I wouldn’t arrive at 4 p.m. expecting one to still be waiting.

There Are Free Hands-On Classes Too

The current features page also lists several hands-on activities, including fairy-garden classes, starter herb-garden classes and cooking programs for children and adults. Many require advance registration because space is limited. Home and Garden Shows

If one of those interests you, don’t wait until you’re standing inside the convention center to investigate.

Check the registration links before the weekend.

The organizer’s seminar page is still telling visitors to check back closer to the show for the complete schedule, so some times and programming may still be finalized. Home and Garden Shows

That’s another reason to check the official page immediately before attending.

HGTV’s Boise Boys Are Currently Listed as Special Guests

The official 2026 event page currently lists Clint Robertson and Luke Caldwell from HGTV’s Boise Boys among the featured guests. Home and Garden Shows

The show also advertises gardening presentations, fishing experts, cooking demonstrations and other home and outdoor speakers.

If you’re attending mainly to see a particular person rather than shop the exhibits, verify the final seminar schedule once it’s published.

Guest appearances and event times can change.

There’s a Large Cooking Component

This event has expanded well beyond kitchens as things people remodel.

The Eat It and Like It Cooking Stage is scheduled to feature Jesse Blanco and other chefs demonstrating dishes and cooking techniques throughout the weekend. Home and Garden Shows

There is also a BBQ stage with pitmaster Richard Fergola and other cooking demonstrations.

That gives someone who isn’t shopping for windows or landscaping something to do while another member of the household spends 45 minutes discussing quartz countertops.

The Show Is Also a Marketplace

Not every booth is trying to sell you a $20,000 home renovation.

The Art, Gift and Gourmet Marketplace includes artisans, specialty foods, gifts and home products. Home and Garden Shows

So it’s possible to attend purely to browse.

Plants.

Décor.

Kitchen products.

Food.

Outdoor gear.

Home gadgets.

You don’t need an active remodeling project to justify walking through.

And because admission is free, you’re not trying to recover a ticket price once you’re inside.

Giveaways Are Everywhere—But Read the Fine Print

The organizer is currently advertising a large group of giveaways, including an 8-by-8 Tuff Shed, grill cart, Adirondack chair, Ethan Allen gift card, WaterRower, paver firepit, pest-control service and other prizes. Home and Garden Shows

Just remember what entering a giveaway usually means.

You’re probably providing contact information.

If you don’t want sales calls or marketing messages later, read what you’re agreeing to before dropping your information into every giveaway box you encounter.

A free drawing is still a marketing tool.

Which Day Should You Go?

I’d choose based on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Friday afternoon is appealing if your primary goal is serious home-project research. The show opens at noon, and people with conventional work schedules may not arrive until later.

Saturday offers the longest hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is likely the easiest day for families trying to combine exhibits with children’s activities and demonstrations.

Sunday gives you another six-hour window from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. if Saturday is already full.

Because admission is free all weekend, there’s technically nothing stopping a serious homeowner from returning another day if one visit isn’t enough. Home and Garden Shows

Wear Comfortable Shoes

This is not the place for optimistic footwear.

The Orange County Convention Center’s West Building alone contains more than a million square feet of exhibit space, and attendee feedback repeatedly mentions the amount of walking involved on the convention-center campus.

The Home & Garden Show won’t occupy the entire building.

But between the parking lot, concourse and exhibit halls, you’re still going to walk.

Wear the comfortable shoes.

Your kitchen contractor won’t care.

Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show 2026: Quick Guide

• Dates: Friday–Sunday, Oct. 2–4, 2026
• Friday: noon–5 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Where: Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse, Halls B2–B3
• Admission: Free for adults, seniors and children
• Parking: $10 plus tax with the Home & Garden Show discount; access code 50013 is listed for advance parking reservations
• What you’ll find: Remodeling, kitchens, baths, roofs, windows, landscaping, outdoor living, solar, generators, plants, décor, cooking and family activities. Home and Garden Shows

Official Orlando Fall Home & Garden Show information

The Best Reason to Go Isn’t Necessarily to Buy Something

For Orlando homeowners, the real value of a home show is comparison.

You can look at five different window companies.

Ask three remodelers the same question.

Compare outdoor-kitchen layouts.

See different countertop materials in person.

Talk to someone about replacing the roof.

Ask a gardener why the plant you keep buying dies every summer.

Then go home and think about it.

That’s a much better use of the event than walking through the door determined to sign a contract.

The admission cost this year is $0.

Parking can be about $10 plus tax.

For someone contemplating a project worth thousands—or tens of thousands—spending a few hours gathering ideas and asking questions is a relatively inexpensive investment.

And even if your biggest planned home improvement this fall is replacing one sad-looking plant beside the front door, you may still come home with a few ideas.