FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2021
Contact: Nick Gandy, media@playinflorida.com or 850-322-3404

Sunshine State Games Alachua County Festival Update

TALLAHASSEE – The 42^nd Annual Sunshine State Games features three multi-sport Festivals between the weekends of May 28 and June 13.  The Alachua County Festival presents six sports over three weekends, from Saturday, May 29 to Sunday, June 13.

Alachua County and Gainesville have a long history of hosting Sunshine State Games events, dating back to the inaugural Games in 1980.  The 2021 Alachua County Festival hosts Track and Field, Fencing, Swimming, Tennis, Archery and Artistic Swimming in six different locations, on successive weekends.

The weekend of June 4-6 features Fencing at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, and Swimming at the Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool.

Archery and Artistic Swimming close out the Alachua County Festival schedule the weekend of June 11-13. The Easton Newberry Archery Complex and Gator Bowmen host two days of Archery and the Stephen C. O’Connell Center will host Artistic Swimming.

Visit www.sunshinestategames.com/all-sports-schedule for competition and registration information for the six sports with approaching registration deadlines.  Entry fees vary by sport.

Upcoming Sunshine State Games Registration Deadlines
Swimming Registration Deadline: Wednesday, May 26
Artistic Swimming Online Registration Deadline: Friday, May 28
Fencing Online Registration Deadline: Sunday, May 30
Archery Online Registration Deadline: Sunday, June 6 (On-site registration available on day of event)

The Archery events will serve as a qualifier for the 2021 Florida Senior Games, for participating athletes age 50 and over.  The top five finishers in each five-year interval age group, will qualify for the Florida Senior Games, to be held in the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area, December 4-12.

Alachua County Festival Daily Schedule of Events

Friday, June 4
5:30 p.m.: Swimming @ Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool

Saturday, June 5
8:00 a.m.: Fencing @ Legacy Park Multi-Purpose Center, Alachua
8:00 a.m.: Swimming @ Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool

Sunday, June 6
8:00 a.m.: Fencing @ Legacy Park Multi-Purpose Center, Alachua
8:00 a.m.: Swimming @ Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool

Friday, June 11
9:30 a.m.: Artistic Swimming @ Stephen C. O’Connell Center

Saturday, June 12
9:00 a.m.: Archery @ Easton Newberry Archery Center and Gator Bowmen
9:30 a.m.: Artistic Swimming @ Stephen C. O’Connell Center

Sunday, June 13
9:00 a.m.: Archery @ Easton Newberry Archery Center and Gator Bowmen
9:30 a.m.: Artistic Swimming @ Stephen C. O’Connell Center

Other Sunshine State Games Festivals
Polk County Festival
May 28-30
Sports Offered: Taekwondo @ RP Funding Center; Powerlifting @ Auburndale Community Center; Golf @ Cleveland Heights Golf Course (Qualifier for 2021 Florida Senior Games); Bowling @ Cypress Lanes, Winter Haven (Qualifier for 2021 Florida Senior Games)

Clay County Festival
June 11-13
Sports Offered: Canoe Kayak/Marathon @ Middleburg Boat Ramp, Disc  Golf @ Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park; Pickleball @ Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park; Ultimate @ Plantation Sports Complex

Sunshine State Games Water Polo Championships
June 26-27
Coral Springs Aquatic Center

The Sunshine State Games, Florida’s only Olympic-style Sports Festival, is presented annually by the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida. Dating back to 1980, the Sunshine State Games is the longest continually-running State Games program in the U.S.  The 2021 Games are presented in conjunction with Clay County Tourism and Airstream Ventures, the Gainesville Sports Commission, Florida’s Sports Coast and Polk County Sports Marketing. The Sunshine State Games is part of the state’s $57.4 billion sports industry that accounts for 580,000 jobs statewide.

 

The Florida Sports Foundation

The Florida Sports Foundation, a 501(C) 3 non-profit corporation, is the official sports promotion and development organization for the State of Florida. It is charged with the promotion and development of professional, amateur, recreational sports, and physical fitness opportunities that produce a thriving Florida sports industry and environment. With a seemingly endless list of sporting ventures and venues, the Florida Sports Foundation strives to promote Florida’s unique sports industry. The Foundation’s staff is dedicated to serving the needs and interests of Florida’s sports community and assists with all questions concerning Florida sporting activities and issues.

About the Gainesville Sports Commission

Founded in 1988, the Gainesville Sports Commission (GSC) is a not-for-profit organization that strives to promote tourism through sports while creating a positive economic impact on Gainesville and Alachua County. The Gainesville Sports Commission is a liaison that brings sporting events to our local community and assists with hosting, creating and supporting over 45 events annually. Since its inception, Gainesville Sports Commission has directly contributed more than 300 million dollars of economic growth. By bringing participants and spectators to sporting events, Gainesville Sports Commission creates approximately 20 million dollars annually of direct economic impact for our community.