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Sun 'n Fun announces Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show

December event to support Sun 'n Fun's Aerospace Center for Excellence

Editor's note: This article was updated on September 8 to correct the date of the AOPA General Aviation Town Hall session, which is scheduled for December 5.

A two-day event in Lakeland, Florida, will help quench the thirst of aviation enthusiasts who missed out on the annual Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo, which was canceled earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sun 'n Fun will host a Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show on December 4 and 5. Photo by Mike Collins.

The Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show will take place December 4 and 5 and will feature numerous aircraft displays, a short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) competition, night airshow, balloon launch, a large airplane and car show, live music, and other activities on the Sun 'n Fun Expo campus at the Lakeland Linder International Airport.

In addition, pilots will have a unique opportunity to interact with notable industry leaders. AOPA will sponsor a General Aviation Town Hall session on December 5, in which pilots can hear about the state of GA in the COVID-19 era. Scheduled town hall panelists include Sun 'n Fun/ACE President and CEO John Leenhouts, AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker, and Experimental Aircraft Association President, CEO, and Board Chairman Jack Pelton.

On December 5, the Lakeland Linder International Airport is sponsoring the SUN 'n RUN 5k, with proceeds benefiting Women in Aviation and the Lakeland Aero Club.

The Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo is the main fundraiser for the Aerospace Center for Excellence, a leader in science, technology, engineering, math, and aerospace education through its various learning centers, outreach programs, summer camps, and scholarships. Proceeds from the Holiday Flying Festival and Car Show will go to the center.

Event organizers are promising an “over responsible” safety focus for the all-outdoor event, as all attendees and personnel will be properly distanced over the 300 acres of available space, with plenty of sanitizing stations on the grounds. Sun 'n Fun announced the event after it received final approval from the town of Lakeland and airport officials. Organizers will continue to monitor the health situation and make any changes prescribed by guidelines.

Alyssa J. Miller

Eric Blinderman

Senior Director of Communications
Eric Blinderman is AOPA’s Senior Director of Communications. Eric joined AOPA in 2020 after several years at leading marketing/communications agencies in New York and is looking forward to putting his newly minted private pilot certificate to work.
Topics: Sun 'n Fun, COVID19, Events

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