Click here to go to the updated 2020 COVID-19 list.

Better late than never, amiright?

In the late 2000s I began noticing the saturation of the market for pop culture (“geek”) events in my home state of Florida. I’d compile an annual list on my Facebook of all the ones I could find. (NOTE: those posts, along with the core content of my Facebook, are now deleted.) In the 2010s, I started to post this info publicly on my blog so that the community at large could see what I was seeing: the unusual lifecycle of nerdy festivals/gatherings/events in the Sunshine State. Previous posts: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013

Here are the events I have tracked down for 2020. As always, if you see one I missed, please let me know: me@TomCroom.com. Additionally, if you use any information from my post for your own posts/updates, please link to this blog post as a reference.

1. JAN 4-5, Spaced Out Hall of Heroes mini-Comic Con at MOSH (Jacksonville)
2. JAN 5-12, Awesome Games Done Quick (Orlando)
3. JAN 12, DeLand Comic and Collectibles Show (Deland)
4. JAN 12, Orlando Toy and Comic Con (Orlando)
5. JAN 17-20, Otronicon (Orlando)
6. JAN 18-19, Central Florida Comic Con (Lakeland)
7. JAN 19, Jacksonville Anime Day (Jacksonville)
8. JAN 24-27, Colossalcon Cruise (Cape Canaveral, aboard a cruise ship)
9. FEB 1, SSA+S Toracon (Sarasota)
10. FEB 7, GAAM Love Night (Jacksonville)
11. FEB 7-9, Rapiercon (Jacksonville)
12. FEB 8, Space Coast Comic Con (Cocoa)
13. FEB 9, Tampa Bay Toy Expo (Tampa)
14. FEB 9-16, ConVoluted CON Cruise (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
15. FEB 15, SyFy Bartow (Bartow)
16. FEB 20-23, Coastal Magic Convention (Daytona Beach)
17. FEB 21-23, Escape Winter Convention (Orlando)
18. FEB 22, BTL Collectibles Show (Miami) – monthly; see convention site for details.
19. FEB 22, Florida Game Con at USF (Tampa)
20. FEB 23, North Florida Pop Up Toy Show (Jacksonville)
21. FEB 28-MAR 1, Pensacon (Pensacola)
22. FEB 29, FreeCon (Tallahassee)
23. MAR 1-8, Star Trek: The Cruise IV (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
24. MAR 7, MY-CON aka Mystic-Con (Orlando)
25. MAR 7-8, Infinity Con Lake City (Lake City)
26. MAR 7, Superfancon – Comics & Toy Show (Miami)
27. MAR 8, Retro Toy-Con Orlando (Orlando)
28. MAR 13-15, CEO Dreamland (Orlando)
29. MAR 14, Hero Hype Miami (Miami)
30. MAR 14, SwampCon (Gainesville)
31. MAR 15, CalusaCon (Fort Myers)
32. MAR 18-21, The International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (Orlando)
33. MAR 20, Keiser Super Con (Orlando)
34. MAR 20-22, Collective Con (Jacksonville)
35. MAR 20-22, Omni Fandom Expo (Orlando)
36. MAR 20-22, TFcon Orlando (Orlando)
37. MAR 22, Brick City Comic & Toy Show (Ocala)
38. MAR 28, Orlando Anime Day (Orlando)
39. APR 4, FLPolyCon (Lakeland)
40. APR 4, Hall of Heroes CosCon (Jacksonville)
41. APR 4-5, Hatsume Fair (Miami)
42. APR 11-12, UFOCon Orlando (Orlando)
43. APR 16-19, MEGACON Orlando (Orlando)
44. APR 18-22, CruiseCon (Port Canaveral, aboard a cruise ship)
45. APR 25, TallahasseeCon (Tallahassee)
46. MAY 2, Beaches Comic Con (Jacksonville)
47. MAY 8-10, Florida Supercon (Miami)
48. MAY 9, Hero Hype Anime + Gaming Expo (Orlando)
49. MAY 9, Hero Hype Tampa (Tampa)
50. MAY 22-24, Spooky Empire (Orlando)
51. MAY 23-24, CosplayCon.com Orlando (Orlando)
52. MAY 23-24, Mizucon (Miami)
53. JUN 6-7, Infinity Con Tallahassee (Tallahassee)
54. JUN 13, River City Wrestling Con (Jacksonville)
55. JUN 13, SWFL Space Con (Fort Myers)
56. JUN 13-14, Ocala Comic Con (Ocala)
57. JUN 14, Orlando Toy Collectors Summer Pop-Up Show (Apopka)
58. JUN 19-21, Anime Festival Orlando (Orlando)
59. JUN 26-28, CEO FightingGame Championships (Orlando)
60. JUL 1-5, Dice Tower East (Orlando)
61. JUL 4-5, OtakuFest (Miami)
62. JUL 10-12, Tampa Bay Comic Convention (Tampa)
63. JUL 17-19, Con of Thrones (Orlando)
64. JUL 18, Hero Hype Orlando (Orlando)
65. JUL 23-25, MetroCon (Tampa)
66. JUL 31-AUG 2, LeakyCon Orlando (Orlando)
67. AUG 1, Quest Con Orlando (Orlando)
68. AUG 10, Sunrise ComicCon (Sunrise)
69. AUG 14-16, Fanboy Expo Orlando (Orlando)
70. AUG 21-23, MegaPlex (Orlando)
71. AUG 22-23, Infinity Toy & Comic Convention (Orlando)
72. AUG 29-30, Ultracon of South Florida (West Palm Beach)
73. SEP 4-6, Kaiyōcon (Daytona Beach)
74. SEP 11-13, Supernatural Official Convention (Orlando)
75. SEP 18-20, Ancient City Con (St. Augustine)
76. SEP 25-27, CEOtaku (Orlando)
77. SEP 25-27, Necronomicon Science Fiction Convention (Tampa)
78. SEP 25-27, Star Con Orlando (Orlando)
79. OCT 2-4, Fantasm (Orlando)
80. OCT 3-4, Daytona Beach Comic Convention (Daytona Beach)
81. OCT 3-4, WasabiCon (Jacksonville)
82. OCT 16-18, EXP Con (St. Augustine)
83. OCT 18, Melbourne Toy and Comic Con (Melbourne)
84. OCT 30, Hurricane Who Reunion (Orlando)
85. OCT 30-NOV 1, Lumi-Con (Tampa)
86. NOV 13-15, Anime Iwai (Fort Lauderdale)
87. NOV 13-15, Rangerstop Convention (Orlando)
88. NOV 21, SW-FloridaCon (Fort Myers)
89. DEC 18-20, Holiday Matsuri (Orlando)

PENDING (Waiting on dates or confirmed cancellation.)

• AfroCon (Tampa)
• Clermont Comic Con (Clermont)
• Comic Con Revolution (West Palm Beach; still active in CA; no FL events announced.)
• EagleCON (Fort Myers; website says “…looking at a possible 2021 launch date.“)
• Furloween (Orlando)
• Fusion Con (New Port Richey)
• GACUCon (Miami)
• GACUBash (Miami)
• Gamer Comic Expo (Miami)
• Jacksonville Comic and Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• Pulp Adventurecon (Ft. Lauderdale; returning 2020; Dates TBD.)
• RedShirt Con (Orlando)
• MEGACON Tampa Bay (Tampa)
• Nakamacon (Panama City)
• NotCon At Sea (departs from Galveston, TX this year.)
• OASIS (Orlando; event on hiatus.)
• Sci-Fi Sea Cruise (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
• Senpai Cosplay Cruise (Miami; website says “New Dates and Travel Details are Coming Soon.“)
• Steampunk Invasion (St. Augustine)
• SWFL SteamCon & Fantasy Expo (Fort Myers)
• Tampa Anime Day (Tampa)
• True Gamerz Expo (Jacksonville)

INACTIVE/CHANGED

• 2050 Events (Daytona Beach)
• Acciocon (Orlando)
• Acme Comic-Con (Longwood)
• Aethertopia (Tampa)
• ALT*Con (Tallahassee)
• Amelia Con (Amelia Island)
• Animate! Miami / Animate! Florida / Animation Supercon / Anime Supercon / Broward Anime Festival / Fantasy Twi-Life Tour / Paradise City Comic Con (Miami/Fort Lauderdale; all events merged into Florida Supercon.)
• Anime Express (Daytona Beach)
• Anime South (Fort Walton Beach)
• Apex Anime (Tampa)
• ArcadiaCon (Fort Lauderdale)
• Auburndale City Con (Auburndale)
• Ascendio/Infinitus (Orlando)
• Assimilation (Orlando)
• Atama Kon (Orlando)
• Away Mission (Tampa)
• Battle Cruise (Port Canaveral, aboard a cruise ship)
• Bellecon/Otaku-Ya! Anime Festival (Jacksonville)
• Bold City Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• Bouchercon (St. Petersburg; no FL events announced.)
• Chibi Pa (Hollywood)
• Clearwater Toshocon / Clearwater Comic Con (Clearwater)
• CONjure (Orlando)
• Cosmic Comic Fest (Tampa)
• Cosography (Cocoa)
• Creator Owned Expo (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Creature Con (Orlando)
• Dead X Fest (Tampa)
• DreamCon/Nightmare Before Thanksgiving (Jacksonville)
• EliteCon (Tampa)
• Emerald’s Fur Summit (Pensacola)
• EnchantaCon (Orlando)
• Evil Con (Tampa)
• Expedition Prototype (Kissimmee)
• Fan Lexicon / Free Play Florida Jacksonville Arcade Expo / Retr-O-Rama Pop Culture Collectibles Show / RetroJAX (Jacksonville; all events merged into The Original North Florida Pop Up Toy Show.)
• FANdom Con (Fort Walton Beach)
• Fatality Fest (West Palm Beach)
• FAN2SEA Cruise (Tampa, aboard a cruise ship)
• First Coast Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• FIT Con (Melbourne)
• Floatacon (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
• Floridacon (Miami)
• Florida Anime Experience (Kissimmee; merged into MEGACON Orlando.)
• Florida Anime Festival (Fort Walton Beach; rebranded as My Hero Convention and now in AL.)
• Florida Arcade & Pinball Expo (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Florida Battle Con (Orlando)
• Florida Net Con (Orlando)
• Florida Pop Con (Fern Park)
• Fandom Unleashed (Orlando)
• Florida Fandomania (Fort Pierce)
• FX/The Florida Xtravaganza (Orlando)
• Galaxy Comic Con (Daytona)
• Gamewarp (Orlando)
• Geek Fest Florida (Fort Lauderdale)
• GeekyCon (Orlando)
• GIJoeCon (Orlando)
• Hero Trader Comic Con (Punta Gorda)
• Houkocon (Port St. Lucie)
• Infinite Bits (Miami)
• JACON (Orlando)
• Janicon (Jacksonville)
• Khaotic Kon (Tampa)
• Knightrokon (Orlando)
• Kunicon/Otakucon (Miami)
• LameCon (Land O’ Lakes)
• M•CON (Jacksonville)
• Malooga Con (Tampa)
• Mandarin Mini Con (Jacksonville)
• Meeting of the Mines Minecraft Convention (Orlando)
• Miami Hurricon (Miami)
• Mini Con (Plantation)
• Mugglecon (Orlando)
• Mythicon (Orlando)
• My Little Pony Fair and Convention (Tampa; no FL events announced.)
• Naruto Trek (West Palm Beach)
• North Florida Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• O-SaruCon (Orlando)
• Okama Con (Miami)
• Omnicon (Ft. Lauderdale)
• OrlandoCon (Orlando)
• Orlando Comic Expo (Orlando)
• Orlando Nerd Fest (Orlando)
• Palm Con (West Palm Beach)
• Panama City Beach Comic Con (Panama City)
• Panama City CreativeCon (Panama City)
• PariahCon (Lakeland)
• Pensacola Comic Convention (Pensacola)
• Recon (Kissimmee)
• Sci-Con (Tampa)
• Salty Bay Con (Tampa)
• Sands of Anime (Cocoa Beach)
• Shadocon (Tampa)
• Shock! Pop! Comic Con (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Silver-Con (Fort Lauderdale)
• Southern Media Con (Tampa)
• Space Coast Nerd Fest (Melbourne)
• Speculative Fiction: Southeast (Orlando)
• Star Wars Celebration (Orlando; no FL events announced.)
• Sukoshi Con (Ft. Walton Beach)
• Tachychon (Orlando)
• Tampa Bay Toy Expo (Tampa)
• The Grand Brony Gala (Tampa)
• Time Lord Fest (Jacksonville/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/Fan Fest (Orlando/Tampa; no FL events announced.) 
• Winter Garden Wonderfest (Winter Garden)
• Wizard World (Miami; no FL events announced.)
• Wrath of Con (Panama City)
• Yasumicon (Miami)
• ZombiCon (Fort Myers)
• Zonacon/Tri-County Comic Con (Orlando)