Like sands through the hourglass, so are the conventions of our lives.  For a number of years I have taken the time to track down and maintain an annual history of pop culture events in the Sunshine State.  Part of this is to help me (personally) keep track of what’s out there, and part of it is to help the community at large to manage their own events without stepping on each other (too much).  So here’s the latest and greatest going into 2018…

CONFIRMED:

• JAN 5-11, Star Trek: The Cruise Voyage 1 (Miami, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• JAN 6-7, CBC / Borderlands Comics 2 Day (Mini) Comic Book & Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• JAN 7, Jacksonville Anime Day (Jacksonville)
• JAN 11-17, Star Trek: The Cruise Voyage 2 (Miami, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• JAN 12-14, Paradise City Comic Con (Miami)
• JAN 12-15, Otronicon (Orlando)
• JAN 13-14, SwampCon (Gainesville)
• JAN 14, Deland Comics & Collectibles Show (Deland)
• JAN 19-21, Supernatural Official Convention (Orlando)
• JAN 20-21, Super Toy Show (Ft. Lauderdale) – formerly Ultracon of South Florida.
• JAN 28, Time Lord Fest Tampa Bay (Tampa)
• JAN 28, Orlando Toy & Comic Con (Orlando)
• FEB 2-4, Florida Pop Con (Fern Park)
• FEB 8-11, Rapier Gaming Convention (Jacksonville)
• FEB 10-11, Jacksonville / CBC 2 Day Comic Book & Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• FEB 17, SyFy Bartow (Bartow)
• FEB 22-25, Coastal Magic Convention (Daytona Beach)
• FEB 23-25. Expedition Prototype (Kissimmee)
• FEB 23-25, Pensacon (Pensacola)
• FEB 24, BTL Collectibles Show (Miami) – monthly; see convention site for details.
• FEB 24, Comic Con Revolution (West Palm Beach)
• MAR 3, The Infinity Toy and Comic Con (Orlando)
• MAR 7, Clearwater Comic Con (Clearwater)
• MAR 9-11, Omni Expo (Orlando)
• MAR 10, Miami Comic Con (Miami)
• MAR 14-18, The International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (Orlando)
• MAR 23-25, Collective Con (Jacksonville)
• MAR 23-25, FreeCon (Tallahassee)
• MAR 24, Gulf Coast Maker Comic Con (Seminole)
• APR 6-8, Spooky Empire (Orlando)
• APR 14-15, Infinity Con (Lake City)
• APR 21-22, Daytona Beach Comic and Toy Convention 2-Day (Daytona Beach)
• APR 21-22, Hatsume Fair (Delray Beach)
• MAY 11-13, Dead X Fest (Tampa)
• MAY 24-27, MegaCon Orlando (Orlando)
• JUN 1-3, Once Upon A Time Official Convention (Orlando)
• JUN 16, Time Lord Fest Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
• JUN 16-17, SWFL Space Con (Fort Myers)
• JUN 23-24, Ocala Comic Con (Ocala)
• JUN 29-JUL 1, CEO Fighting Game Convention (Daytona Beach)
• JUL 4-8, Dice Tower Con (Orlando)
• JUL 12-15, Florida Supercon (Miami)
• JUL 19-22, Metrocon (Tampa)
• JUL 20-22, Southern Media Con (Tampa)
• JUL 20-25, GaCuCon The Game Cruise (Miami, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• AUG 3-5, Anime Festival Orlando (Orlando)
• AUG 3-5, Megaplex (Orlando)
• AUG 3-5, Tampa Bay Comic Con (Tampa)
• AUG 12, Jacksonville Comic and Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• SEP 6-9, Bouchercon (St. Petersburg)
• SEP 7-9, Ancient City Con (St. Augustine)
• SEP 15, Orlando Comic Con (Orlando)
• SEP 21-23, MegaCon Tampa Bay (Tampa)
• OCT 12-14, Animate! Miami (Miami)
• OCT 13, SWFLSteamCon (Fort Myers)
• OCT 19-21, Necronomicon (Tampa)
• OCT 20-21, WasabiCon (Jacksonville)
• OCT 26-28, Lumi-Con (Tampa)
• NOV 2-4, Shadocon (St. Petersburg)
• NOV 4, Daytona Beach Comic and Toy Convention (Daytona Beach)
• NOV 9-11, Rangerstop’s Superhero Toy & Comic Con (Orlando)
• DEC 7-9, Supernatural Official Convention (Jacksonville)
• DEC 14-16, Holiday Matsuri (Orlando)

PENDING:

• ALT*Con (Tallahassee
• Amelia Con (Amelia Island) – announced to return in 2019.
• Anime Iwai (Deerfield Beach)
• Auburndale City Con (Auburndale)
• CEOtaku Anime Fighting Game Convention (Orlando)
• Clermont Comic Con (Clermont)
• COS CON JAX (Jacksonville)
• Cosography (Cocoa)
• Creative Con (Panama City)
• EXP Con (Jacksonville)
• First Coast Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• Free Play Florida (Orlando)
• Fusion Con (Safety Harbor)
• Hall of Heroes (Jacksonville)
• Jacksonville Anime Day (Jacksonville)
• Jacksonville Arcade Expo (Jacksonville)
• KaiyoCon (Daytona Beach) – FEB 15-17, 2019.
• Malooga Con (Tampa)
• Mandarin Mini Con (Jacksonville)
• Melbourne Toy and Comic Con (Melbourne)
• Mizucon (Miami)
• NakamaCon (Panama City)
• OASIS (Orlando)
• OrlandoCon (Orlando)
• Orlando Anime Day (Orlando)
• Pensacola Comic Convention (Pensacola)
• Polycon (Lakeland)
• Space Coast Comic Con (Cocoa)
• Tampa Anime Day (Tampa)
• Toracon (Sarasota)

INACTIVE:

• 2050 Events (Daytona Beach)
• Acciocon (Orlando)
• Acme Comic-Con (Longwood)
• Amelia Con (Amelia Island)
• Anime Express (Daytona Beach)
• Anime South (Fort Walton Beach)
• Apex Anime (Tampa)
• ArcadiaCon (Fort Lauderdale)
• Away Mission (Tampa)
• Ascendio/Infinitus (Orlando)
• Assimilation (Orlando)
• Atama Kon (Orlando)
• Battle Cruise (Port Canaveral, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• Bellecon/Otaku-Ya! Anime Festival (Jacksonville)
• Bold City Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• Chibi Pa (Hollywood)
• Clearwater Toshocon (Clearwater)
• CONjure (Orlando)
• Creator Owned Expo (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Cosmic Comic Fest (Tampa)
• Creature Con (Orlando)
• CruiseCon (Port Canaveral, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• DreamCon/Nightmare Before Thanksgiving (Jacksonville)
• EliteCon (Tampa)
• EnchantaCon (Orlando)
• Evil Con (Tampa)
• EyeCon (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• Fan Lexicon (Jacksonville)
• FANdom Con (Fort Walton Beach)
• Fantasy Twi-Life Tour (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Fatality Fest (West Palm Beach)
• FAN2SEA Cruise (Tampa, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• FIT Con (Melbourne)
• Floatacon (Miami, Aboard a Cruise Ship)
• Floridacon (Miami)
• Florida Anime Experience (Kissimmee – merged with MegaCon Orlando)
• Florida Arcade & Pinball Expo (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Florida Battle Con (Orlando)
• Florida Net Con (Orlando)
• Fanboy Expo (Lakeland/Tampa – but still active outside of Florida)
• Fandom Unleashed (Orlando)
• Florida Fandomania (Fort Pierce)
• FX/The Florida Xtravaganza (Orlando)
• Galaxy Comic Con (Tampa)
• Gamewarp (Orlando)
• Geek Fest Florida (Fort Lauderdale)
• GeekyCon (Orlando)
• GI Joe Con (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• Houkocon (Port St. Lucie)
• Hurricane Who (Orlando)
• Infinite Bits (Miami)
• JACON (Orlando)
• Janicon (Jacksonville)
• Khaotic Kon (Tampa)
• Knightrokon (Orlando)
• Kunicon/Otakucon (Miami)
• LameCon (Land O’ Lakes)
• M•CON (Jacksonville)
• Meeting of the Mines Minecraft Convention (Orlando)
• Miami Hurricon (Miami)
• Mini Con (Plantation)
• Mugglecon (Orlando)
• Mythicon (Orlando)
• Naruto Trek (West Palm Beach)
• North Florida Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• O-SaruCon (Orlando)
• Okama Con (Miami)
• Omnicon (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Orlando Comic Expo (Orlando)
• Orlando Nerd Fest (Orlando)
• Palm Con (West Palm Beach)
• Panama City Beach Comic Con (Panama City)
• PariahCon (Lakeland)
• Pulp Adventure Con (Ft. Lauderdale – but still active outside of Florida)
• Retr-O-Rama Pop Culture Collectibles Show (Jacksonville)
• Sci-Con (Tampa)
• Salty Bay Con (Tampa)
• Sands of Anime (Cocoa Beach)
• Shock! Pop! Comic Con (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Silver-Con (Fort Lauderdale)
• Space Coast Nerd Fest (Melbourne)
• Speculative Fiction: Southeast (Orlando)
• Star Wars Celebration (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• Sukoshi Con (Ft. Walton Beach)
• Tachychon (Orlando)
• Tampa Bay Toy Expo (Tampa)
• The Grand Brony Gala (Tampa)
• Treasure Coast Comic Con (Port St. Lucie)
• Trekfest (West Palm Beach)
• Trekon (Miami)
• Trek Happening (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Umicon Daytona (Daytona Beach)
• Vulkon (Orlando & Tampa)
• Walker Stalker Con (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• Winter Garden Wonderfest (Winter Garden)
• Wrath of Con (Panama City)
• Yasumicon (Miami)
• ZombiCon (Fort Myers)
• Zonacon/Tri-County Comic Con (Orlando)