It doesn’t matter the weather or the time of year, geek chic is always in season in the Sunshine State.
Though some might prefer anime to manga or Star Wars to Star Trek, it’s no secret that fanboys and fangirls flock to Florida all year long for a variety of conventions and festivals.
Not only does the state offer some of the biggest geek gatherings like MegaCon but there are also a number of up-and-coming conventions that aim to please fans of more niche subgenres, including steampunk enthusiasts and furries — men and women who wear “fursuits” depicting anthropomorphic animal characters.
A full list of conventions across Florida for the rest of 2015 is available below.
April 10-12: MegaCon, Orlando. Megacon will be coming to the Orange County Convention Center, guests this year include Hulk Hogan, Norman Reedus from The Walking Dead and guest of honor Stan Lee. Visit www.megaconvention.com
April 24-26: Florida Anime Experience, Orlando. The Florida Anime Experience is a relatively new fan convention designed to focus specifically on Japanese animation, manga and popular culture, this year’s convention will be the fifth annual. Visit www.floridaanime.com
April 25-May 3: Steampunk Cruise, Fort Lauderdale. Workshops, events, cocktail parties and more are planned for the Steampunk Cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s Indepedence of the Seas. The ship leaves from Fort Lauderdale and will stop in St. Marteen, St. Kitts, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Visit SteampunkCruise.com
May 1-3: Sukoshi Con: Destination Anime, Panama City Beach. Organizers are calling this event the “ultimate summer vacation” that combines anime, gaming and the beach all at the Bay Point Wyndham Resort. Visit www.sukoshicon.com
May 1-3: Oasis 27, Orlando. Events for this fan-run science-fiction convention include panels and signings, gaming, masquerade, a charity auction and a video room. Tickets can be purchased by the day or as packages with discounts provided for children. www.oasfis.org
May 8-10: Elliott’s Spring Gathering, Lake Buena Vista. This furry convention will be held at the B Resort and Spa with shuttles running to take visitors to the Walt Disney World theme parks. Visit esg.elliottsliveevents.org/BResort
May 15 – June 14: Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Orlando. This is an annual event at Disney that highlights the Star Wars series. Several characters will be present, and there will be Star Wars-themed events like Jedi Training and a Hyperspace Hoopla dance party. Visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com
May 15-17: Spooky Empire, Orlando. Spooky Empire describes itself as the “ultimate weekend for horror fans of all ages.” Talent from horror movies and TV shows will be present, plus more than 200 vendors selling collectibles and memorabilia, and tattoo artists ready to ink your favorite scary scenes. Visit www.spookyempire.com
May 22-24: Omni Expo, Orlando. Now in its second year, the Omni Expo promises to bring a combination of technology, sci-fi, anime, gaming and horror. There will be meet-and-greets, games, guest speakers and more. Visit omniexpo.com
June 5-7: Sukoshi Con: Anime Paradise, Fort Lauderdale. Sukoshi Con is a social anime convention that focuses on connecting fans and keeping the sub-culture alive. Visit sukoshicon.com/anime_paradise_news.html
June 11-14: MetroCon, Tampa. This year’s theme is brains vs. brawn and a number of voice actors will be featured on the guest list. Attendees can also expect a superhero comedy and stunt show, a masquerade, contests and more. Visit www.metroconventions.com
June 25-28: Florida Supercon, Miami. Supercon is Miami’s largest comic, anime, gaming and pop convention and sees tens of thousands of visitors each year. A video game arcade room and anime watching room are just some of the features this convention has to offer. Visit floridasupercon.com
June 27-28: Walker Stalker Con, Orlando. Zombie fans unite. This festival is for lovers of The Walking Dead and other shows and movies in the same vein. Emily Kinney, David Morrissey and other celebrity guests will be present for panels, Q&As, photo ops and more. Visit walkerstalkercon.com
July 17-19: Ancient City Con 8, Jacksonville. Ancient City Con brands itself as a premier multi-genre fandom and gaming celebration. Visitors can participate in tournaments, tabletop gaming, LAN parties and more. Visit www.ancientcitycon.com
July 24-26: Fanboy Expo, Tampa. Celebrity guests from Doctor Who, Star Trek and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be present to sign autographs and take pictures. Vendors, cosplayers and tattoo artists will also be a big part of the expo. Visit fanboyexpo.com/tampa
July 25-26: LAMECon, Land O’ Lakes. This year’s theme is the Tri-Nerdom when British, Japanese and American fandoms face off. The convention caters to library anime and manga enthusiasts and is free to attend. Visit www.lamecon.com
July 30-August 2: GeekyCon, Orlando. Previously LeakyCon, this convention has expanded from exclusively Harry Potter fans to fandoms of all different books and movies. Book clubs, improv lessons, sing-a-longs and more are all part of the convention. Visit www.geekycon.com
July 31-August 2: Megaplex, Orlando. Megaplex has been Florida’s furry arts and entertainment convention since 2002. Performances at the convention will focus on fursuiting, puppetry and improvisation. Visit www.megaplexcon.org
Aug. 1-3: CONjure, Orlando. Panels, Q&As and workshops will focus on a variety of fandoms, including sci-fi, fantasy, anime and more. Visit www.conjureflorida.com
Aug. 8-9: Pensacola Comic Convention, Pensacola. This convention caters to nearly every fandom out there — science fiction, horror, fantasy, gaming, anime, costuming, fan and indie films, comics, Renaissance, cosplay, steampunk and more. Discussion panels, workshops and tournaments are all on the schedule. Visit www.pensacolacomiccon.com
Aug. 14-16: Anime Festival Orlando, Orlando. This festival celebrates all things related to Japanese animation and pop culture. It’s been described as as Florida’s favorite Japanese anime convention. Visit animefestivalorlando.com
Sept. 11-13: UmiCon Daytona, Daytona Beach. UmiCon is an up-and-coming anime and gaming convention with deep roots in the local community, as well as other anime conventions. Visit umicon-daytona.com
Sept. 26-27: PalmCon 2015, West Palm Beach. PalmCon’s mission is to bring the best in comics, animation, and pop-culture to Palm Beach County while maintaining a safe and family friendly atmosphere. A variety of actors, artists and authors will be at the convention as well. Visit www.palmcon.net
Sept. 26-28: Sci-Con, Tampa. There are more than just celebrity guests at this convention, which is meant to focus on fans. The whole family can enjoy panels, workshops, cosplay and more. Visit scicontampa.com
Sept. 27-29: Klingon Feast, Daytona Beach. No vendors or celebrity guests will be at this event, just fans celebrating Star Trek with a feast, games and more. Visit www.klingonfeast.com
Oct. 2-4: Mizucon, Miami. This convention focuses on anime through cosplay, gaming, exhibits and more. Visit mizucon.com
Oct. 9-11: Necronomicon, Tampa. Timothy Zahn, Joe Haldeman and Eric Flint will be the guests of honor at this year’s Necronomicon, a convention for science fiction, fantasy and horror. It will be held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. Visit necronomicon2015.com
Oct. 23-25: Animate! Miami, Miami. This festival will take over the Miami Airport Convention Center and bring fans anime, cosplay, video games, comic books and more. Visit www.animatemiami.com
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1: Hurricane Who, Orlando. Hurricane Who, a Doctor Who fan group, will be hosting a weekend-long convention devoted to Doctor Who and British science fiction. Visit www.hurricanewho.com
Oct. 31 – Nov. 1: WasabiCon, Jacksonville. The motto of WasabiCon is “geek culture, extra spicy.” The festival celebrates “all things geek,” including Internet culture, paranormal, science fiction, anime and more. Visit www.wasabicon.com
Oct. 25: Time Lord Fest, Tampa. Time Lord Fest is a one-day literature and science-fiction convention focusing on Doctor Who. Visit timelordfest.com
Nov. 6-8: FANdom Con, Fort Walton Beach. FANdom Con prides itself on being different and this year they’re offering fans everything from cosplay and trivia contests to concerts and stand-up comedy. Visit www.fandomcon.com
Nov. 6-8, 14-15: Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire, Tavares. This year, the fair has been expanded to two weekends featuring fire-eaters, jousting, historical characters and artisans that fit the 1606 time frame. Visit www.medievalfest.com
Nov. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22: Medieval Fair, Sarasota. The festival promises to bring unique talent each weekend that range from a bird of prey show to an Irish dance academy performance. Visit www.sarasotamedievalfair.com
Nov. 13-15: Chibi-Pa, Deerfield Beach. Chibi-Pa aims to expand each guest’s knowledge of Japanese culture through anime, costume contests, vendors and more. Visit chibipa.com
Nov. TBA: GLI-Expo, Tallahassee. GLI-Expo is a relatively new festival that caters to the steampunk crowd. Visit www.gli-expo.com
Dec. 18-20: Holiday Matsuri, Orlando. Holiday Matsuri is new multi-genre convention with holiday cheer. All three days will be celebrating anime, video games, sci-fi, cosplayers, artists and more. Visit www.holidaymatsuri.com
