LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland's SUN n' FUN Aerospace Expo is celebrating a milestone at this year's event, which kicked off Tuesday morning at the Aerospace Center for Excellence.
The annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts will be the convention's 50th year since opening in 1974 as a 'fly-in' event. Since then, it has grown to Florida's "largest annual convention of any kind," attracting "over 200,000 visitors" each year, according to the non-profit's website.
The six-day event has everything from an aircraft showcase, hands-on workshops, educational forums, new technology as well as a "Family Fun Zone."
Airshows during the day and nighttime have historically been the most popular for visitors. Daily airshows are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There are two separate night airshows on Wednesday and Saturday starting at 7 p.m.
Special airshow acts include:
- U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
- U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet Demo Team
- U.S. Air Force F-35A Demo Team
- TORA TORA TORA
- Commemorative Air Force Warbirds
- Commemorative Air Force Rise Above: Red Tail Squadron and Ghost Squadron Debut
To help kick off day one, there's a special opening night concert on Tuesday by country music stars, Dylan Scott and Sara Evans.
On the ground, you'll be able to get up close to more than 500 acres of aircraft including military planes, vintage planes, seaplanes, lightplanes and rotorcraft. There are also plenty of hands-on activities for the kids.
The organization's president and CEO, Gene Conrad, said that over 2,000 volunteers worked together to set up and organize the expo this year.
All proceeds from the expo fund the organization's programs and resources, particularly through the Aerospace Center for Excellence. ACE focuses on STEM-related aerospace education through summer camps, scholarships and outreach.
The event runs until April 14, 2024. Single-day tickets are $45 for adults, and $20 for kids older than 10 years old. Anyone younger gets free admission. Tickets for the entire week are available as well. Special pricing is available for Florida residents and spots to camp on-site.