My Annual List of Florida’s Pop Culture Events: 2021

My old Facebook pet project turned annual blog post is now a mishmash of “maybes” and “subject to changes” thanks to, you guessed it, COVID-19. For those of you that found this link and are here for the first time: welcome! Here’s what you’re looking at:

In the early 2000s, shortly after I started Wasabi Anime, I began paying attention to the sudden proliferation of anime conventions in Florida. This expanded into a focus on all “pop culture” or “geek” events in the later years and, around 2009, I started creating an annual list on my Facebook to share with friends. After doing this a few years, I got asked to share the information publicly so, starting in 2013, I’ve been creating an annual blog post about the planned events taking place in the Sunshine State. As as result, I’ve seen large events disappear, small events become large, and some pretty legendary dumpster fires along the way. Here are links to the past lists in you’re interested:

2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013

NOTE: The 2020 blog post is pre-COVID and contains a link directing you to the updated list.

In 2013, there were just over 20 pop culture events. In 2019, the year started out with almost 90 total. Here’s what I’ve found for 2021. If you know of one I’ve missed, please email me at Tom@GeekThatTravels.com so I can add it.

CONFIRMED:

• JAN, Awesome Games Done Quick (Orlando) *virtual event*
• JAN 10, FTSE‘s Gulf Coast Collector Fest (Largo)
• JAN 16, Hall of Heroes: PlayWorld Mini-Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• JAN 16, Jacksonville Anime Day (Jacksonville)
• JAN 17, Deland Comics & Collectibles Show (Deland)
• JAN 23-24, OtakuFest (Miami)
• FEB 12-14, Coliseum Roadshow (Orlando)
• FEB 12-15, Otronicon (Orlando)
• FEB 13, Orlando Anime Day (Orlando)
• FEB 18-21, Coastal Magic Convention (Daytona Beach) *virtual event*
• FEB 20, Players Ball Mini Con (Orange Park)
• FEB 20, SYFY Bartow (Bartow)
• FEB 20-21, Florida Game Con (Tampa) *virtual event*
• FEB 21, The Original North Florida Pop Up Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• FEB 28, FTSE‘s Space Coast Collector Fest (Cocoa)
• MAR 5-7, Superfancon (Fort Lauderdale)
• MAR 6, MY-CON aka Mystic-Con (Orlando)
• MAR 12-14, Collective Con (Jacksonville)
• MAR 12-14, FreeCon (Tallahassee) *virtual event*
• MAR 14, FTSE‘s Retro Super-Con: Orlando (Orlando)
• MAR 28, Olo Comic and Toy Show (Orlando)
• APR 17, Brick City Comic & Toy Show (Ocala)
• APR 30-MAY 2, Spooky Empire, Spring (Orlando)
• MAY 1-2, SwampCon (Gainesville)
• MAY 21-23, Pensacon (Pensacola) *originally FEB 26-28*
• JUN 12-13, Central Florida Comic Con (Lakeland)
• JUN 12-13, River City Wrestling Con (Jacksonville)
• JUN 18-20, Mizucon (Miami)
• JUN 25-27, Anime Festival Orlando (Orlando)
• JUN 25-27, LeakyCon (Orlando)
• JUN 30-JUL 4, Dice Tower East (Orlando)
• JUN 27-JUN 3, GaCuCon The Game Cruise (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
• JUL 2-3, CosplayCon.com Orlando (Orlando)
• JUL 10-11, SharkCon (Tampa)
• JUL 23-25, Metrocon (Tampa)
• JUL 17-19, Bold Matsuri (Jacksonville)
• JUL 30-AUG 1, Tampa Bay Comic Con (Tampa)
• AUG 6-8, Con of Thrones (Orlando)
• AUG 6-8, Megaplex (Orlando)
• AUG 6-8, Omni Expo (Orlando)
• AUG 12-15. MEGACON Orlando (Orlando)
• AUG 20-22, Fanboy Expo Orlando (Orlando)
• SEP 10-12, Sci-Fi Summit Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
• SEP 10-12, Supernatural Official Convention (Orlando)
• SEP 11-12, Ocala Comic Con (Ocala)
• SEP 15-19, Escape Winter Con (Orlando)
• SEP 17-19, Ancient City Con (St. Augustine)
• SEP 24-26, Star Con (Orlando)
• SEP 24-26, CEOtaku (Orlando)
• OCT 1-3, Fantasm (Orlando)
• OCT 16-17, WasabiCon (Jacksonville)
• OCT 22-24, Spooky Empire, Fall (Orlando)
• OCT 23-31, Lumi-Con (Tampa)
• OCT 29-31, Hurricane Who Reunion (Orlando)
• NOV 12-14, Anime Iwai (Ft. Lauderdale)
• NOV 12-14, Rangerstop Orlando (Orlando)
• DEC 17-19, Holiday Matsuri (Orlando)

DELAYED/TBD:

• FEB 26-MAR 5, 2022, Star Trek: The Cruise (Port Canaveral, about a cruise ship)
• APR 18-29, 2022, Sci-Fi Sea Cruise (Fort Lauderdale, aboard a cruise ship)
• Beaches Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• Clermont Comic Con (Clermont)
• Colossalcon Cruise (Port Canaveral, aboard a cruise ship)
• ConVoluted CON Cruise (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
• CruiseCon (Port Canaveral, aboard a cruise ship)
• BTL Collectibles Show (Miami) – monthly
• CEO Fighting Game Championships (Orlando)
• CEO Dreamland (Orlando)
• Hall of Heroes: COS CON JAX (Jacksonville)
• Daytona Beach Comic Book Convention (Daytona Beach)
• EagleCON (Fort Myers)
• EXP Con (St. Augustine)
• EyeCon (Orlando)
• Florida Supercon (Miami)
• FLPolyCon (Lakeland)
• Furloween (Orlando)
• GAAM (Jacksonville)
• GatorLAN (Gainesville)
• GACUBash (Miami)
• Infinity Con (Lake City)
• Infinity Con Tallahassee (Tallahassee)
• Jacksonville CBC Comic Book & Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• Keiser Super Con (Orlando)
• King Con Cruise, formerly NotCon at Sea (Port Canaveral, about a cruise ship)
• Hatsumi Fair (Miami)
• Hero Hype Miami (Miami)
• Hero Hype Orlando (Orlando)
• Hero Hype Tampa (Tampa)
• Hero Hype Anime+Gaming Expo (Miami)
• Infinity Toy & Comic Convention (Kissimmee)
• Melbourne Toy and Comic Con (Melbourne)
• Nakamacon (Panama City)
• Necronomicon Science Fiction Convention (Tampa)
• OASIS (Orlando) 
• Orlando Japan Festival (Orlando)
• Orlando Toy & Comic Con (Orlando)
• Quest Con Orlando (Orlando)
• RapierCon (Jacksonville)
• Senpai Cosplay Cruise (Miami, aboard a cruise ship)
• Space Coast Comic Con (Cocoa)
• SSA+S Toracon (Sarasota)
• Sunrise ComicCon (Sunrise)
• SW-FloridaCon, formerly Colusacon (Fort Myers)
• SWFL Paranormal & UFO Con (Fort Myers)
• SWFL Space Con (Fort Myers)
• SWFL SteamCon (Fort Myers)
• Tallahassee Comic Con (Tallahassee)
• Tampa Anime Day (Tampa)
• True Gamerz Expo (Jacksonville)
• Ultracon of South Florida (Miami)

INACTIVE/PRESUMED CLOSED:

• 2050 Events (Daytona Beach)
• Acciocon (Orlando)
• Acme Comic-Con (Longwood)
• AfroCon (Tampa)
• ALT*Con aka Tallahassee ComicCon (Tallahassee)
• Amelia Con (Amelia Island)
• Anime Supercon/Animation Supercon/ANIMATE! Miami/ANIMATE! Florida (Miami – merged with Florida Supercon)
• Anime Express (Daytona Beach)
• Anime South (Fort Walton Beach)
• Apex Anime (Tampa)
• ArcadiaCon (Fort Lauderdale)
• Auburndale City Con (Auburdale)
• 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)
• Bouchercon (St. Petersburg – but still active outside of Florida)
• Chibi Pa (Hollywood)
• Clearwater Comic Con (Clearwater)
• Clearwater Toshocon (Clearwater)
• Comic Con Revolution (West Palm Beach – but still active outside of Florida)
• CONjure (Orlando)
• Cosmic Comic Fest (Tampa)
• Cosography (Cocoa)
• Creature Con (Orlando)
• Creator Owned Expo (Ft. Lauderdale)
• Dead X Fest (Tampa)
• DreamCon/Nightmare Before Thanksgiving (Jacksonville)
• EliteCon (Tampa)
• EnchantaCon (Orlando)
• Evil Con (Tampa)
• Expedition Prototype (Kissimmee)
• 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)
• Florida Anime Festival (Fort Walton Beach)
• First Coast Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• 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)
• Florida Pop Con (Fern Park)
• Fandom Unleashed (Orlando)
• Florida Fandomania (Fort Pierce)
• Fusion Con (New Port Richey)
• FX/The Florida Xtravaganza (Orlando)
• Galaxy Comic Con (Daytona)
• Gamer Comic Expo (Miami)
• Gamewarp (Orlando)
• Geek Fest Florida (Fort Lauderdale)
• GeekyCon (Orlando)
• GIJoeCon (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• Gulf Coast Maker Comic Con (Seminole)
• Hero Trader Comic Con (Punta Gorda)
• Houkocon (Port St. Lucie)
• Hurricane Who (Orlando)
• Infinite Bits (Miami)
• The International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• JACON (Orlando)
• Janicon (Jacksonville)
• Kaiyōcon (Daytona)
• Khaotic Kon (Tampa)
• Knightrokon (Orlando)
• Kunicon/Otakucon (Miami)
• LameCon (Land O’ Lakes)
• M•CON (Jacksonville)
• Malooga Con (Tampa)
• Mandarin MiniCon (Jacksonville)
• Meeting of the Mines Minecraft Convention (Orlando)
• MEGACON Tampa Bay (Tampa)
• Miami Hurricon (Miami)
• Mini Con (Plantation)
• Mugglecon (Orlando)
• Mythicon (Orlando)
• Naruto Trek (West Palm Beach)
• North Florida Comic Con (Jacksonville)
• O-SaruCon (Orlando)
• Ocala Comic Fest aka Comic Fest at the Mall – Ocala (Ocala)
• 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)
• Paradise City Comic Con (Ft. Lauderdale – merged with Florida Supercon)
• PariahCon (Lakeland)
• Pensacola Comic Convention (Pensacola)
• Pulp Adventure Con (Ft. Lauderdale – but still active outside of Florida)
• RedShirt Con (Orlando)
• Retr-O-Rama Pop Culture Collectibles Show/Original North Florida Pop-Up Toy Show (Jacksonville)
• RetroJAX (Jacksonville) – was Free Play Florida/Jacksonville Arcade Expo
• 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 – but still active outside of Florida)
• Steampunk Invasion (St. Augustine)
• Sukoshi Con (Ft. Walton Beach)
• Tachychon (Orlando)
• Tampa Bay Toy Expo (Tampa)
• TFCon Orlando (Orlando – but still active outside of Florida)
• The Grand Brony Gala (Tampa)
• Time Lord Fest (Jackonville & 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 Cruise (Tampa, aboard a cruise ship)
• Winter Garden Wonderfest (Winter Garden)
• Wizard World (Miami – but still active outside Florida)
• Wrath of Con (Panama City)
• Yasumicon (Miami)
• ZombiCon (Fort Myers)
• Zona Con/Tri-County Comic Con (Orlando)