{"id":64675,"date":"2026-04-13T05:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=64675"},"modified":"2026-04-12T17:51:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T21:51:05","slug":"sun-n-fun-2026-kicks-off-april-14-what-to-know-before-you-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/04\/13\/sun-n-fun-2026-kicks-off-april-14-what-to-know-before-you-go\/","title":{"rendered":"Sun ‘n Fun 2026 kicks off April 14: What to know before you go"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 52nd Annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo<\/strong> is officially taking flight this Tuesday, April 14, in Lakeland.<\/sup> This year\u2019s theme, “Red, White & Blue at 52,”<\/strong> brings some major changes to the schedule and logistics that even seasoned attendees should note.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n

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Here is the essential breakdown of what to know before you head to the Lakeland Linder International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcc5 Key Event Highlights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  • Opening Night Concert (April 14):<\/strong> Kicking off Tuesday at 6:00 PM<\/strong>, the show features country artists Cooper Alan<\/strong> and Thomas Mac<\/strong>. Access is included with your Tuesday admission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The “Composite” Show (April 15):<\/strong> In a change for 2026, Wednesday will feature a single “Composite” airshow from 5:00 PM to 9:15 PM<\/strong>, blending day aerobatics with twilight performances and fireworks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Headliners:<\/strong> The USAF Thunderbirds<\/strong> are the stars of the weekend, performing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (April 17\u201319)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Rare Aircraft:<\/strong> Keep an eye out for the NASA Super Guppy<\/strong>, the legendary Lockheed Constellation (“Connie”)<\/strong>, and a Grumman Mallard<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udcb3 Logistics & Money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • 100% Cashless:<\/strong> This is a major update\u2014all on-site vendors, parking, and admissions are now cashless. You\u2019ll need a credit\/debit card or mobile payment (Apple\/Google Pay).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Buy Online to Save:<\/strong>\n
        \n
      • Daily Admission:<\/strong> $50<\/strong> for adults (online). Prices are typically higher at the gate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Parking:<\/strong> $12<\/strong> online vs. $20<\/strong> at the gate (Credit Only).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Florida Resident Specials:<\/strong> Look for the weekend combo (Saturday\/Sunday) for $50<\/strong> or Sunday-only tickets for $35<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n\n\n\n

        \ud83d\ude97 Getting There & Getting Around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Entrances:<\/strong>\n
            \n
          • Main Parking:<\/strong> Access via Pipkin Road.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • East Parking:<\/strong> Access via Old Medulla Road.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Campers:<\/strong> Use the dedicated entrance at 4238 Hamilton Rd.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • On-Site Shuttles:<\/strong> Free intra-campus trams run daily from 8:00 AM<\/strong> until the airshows conclude.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            \ud83c\udf92 Pack Like a Pro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • Footwear:<\/strong> Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes. You will likely walk several miles across the asphalt and grass.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Sun Protection:<\/strong> High-SPF sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat are non-negotiable under the Florida sun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Water:<\/strong> Bring a refillable water bottle; hydration stations are available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Prohibited Items:<\/strong> No drones, no pets (service animals only), and no outside alcohol. Large coolers are generally restricted to the campgrounds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              \ud83d\udef8 For the Pilots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • NOTAM in Effect:<\/strong> Special flight procedures are active from April 13\u201319<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Arrivals:<\/strong> Remember to display your windshield sign (e.g., “GAC” for camping) to help ground crews direct you quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Updates:<\/strong> You can text “PILOT”<\/strong> to 863-375-8862<\/strong> for real-time operational updates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                The 52nd Annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo is officially taking flight this Tuesday, April 14, in Lakeland. This year\u2019s theme, “Red, White & Blue at 52,” brings some major… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":64676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"7254","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDRcL2ltYWdlcy02LndlYnA_Zml0PTI1MSUyQzIwMSZzc2w9MSIsInR4dCI6IlN1biAmIzgyMTY7biBGdW4gMjAyNiBraWNrcyBvZmYgQXByaWwgMTQ6IFdoYXQgdG8ga25vdyBiZWZvcmUgeW91IGdvIiwidGVtcGxhdGUiOiJkb2lzIiwiZm9udCI6IiIsImJsb2dfaWQiOjE2MzA0MDY2MX0.6ue0u_naU0vA1wGZOsiNN4qwbP3BxvDzV6wuD371AnIMQ"},"version":2,"media_source":"sig","attached_media":[{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/jetpack.com\/redirect\/?source=sigenerate&query=t%3DeyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvbGFrZWxhbmRnYXpldHRlLmluZm9cL25ld3NcL3dwLWNvbnRlbnRcL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMjZcLzA0XC9pbWFnZXMtNi53ZWJwIiwidHh0IjoiU3VuICduIEZ1biAyMDI2IGtpY2tzIG9mZiBBcHJpbCAxNDogV2hhdCB0byBrbm93IGJlZm9yZSB5b3UgZ28iLCJ0ZW1wbGF0ZSI6ImRvaXMiLCJmb250IjoiIiwiYmxvZ19pZCI6MTYzMDQwNjYxfQ.vyoz8b6BM-0YUXEBBiDLiMI-FLgjNJAoPZD3zolMMtwMQ","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[7254],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sun-n-fun"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64677,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675\/revisions\/64677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}