Snowbird Extravaganza returns to Lakeland for first time in three years
LAKELAND – In 1896, the first passenger train reached Miami, and each year since, thousands of people living in the cold climes of Canada and the northern United States have packed their bags and found their way south into the Sunshine State for the winter.
In Polk County, Lakeland has been the site of the annual, free, Snowbird Extravaganza, a two-day event for those new to the area and returning snowbirds to get some help, advice and guidance in settling into their part-time Florida residency.
From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Lakeland’s RP Funding Center will be filled with hundreds of exhibits, keynote speakers, interactive feature areas and a variety of entertainment.
There will be more than 80,000 square feet of renovated show space with vendors and product representatives showing, describing and selling products and information that makes life in Central Florida enjoyable – and in some cases – more tolerable.
The 2024 edition of the Snowbird Extravaganza is back in the RP Funding Center for the 21st time. The last time the event was held in Lakeland was 2020, when more than 20,000 snowbirds attended over two days. The convention wasn’t held for three years because of the COVID pandemic and its aftereffects.
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The Snowbird Extravaganza is deemed the largest single gathering of Canadians in one place outside of Canada and has become one of the largest “mature lifestyle” events in the world, according to the Snowbird Extravaganza through Medipac International Communications Inc.. Medipac International is a Toronto-based publisher of the CSANews, the official news magazine of the Canadian Snowbird Association.
Christopher Davidge, president of Medipac (US) International Inc., said the event will feature products and services of local and national organizations highlighting various aspects of living in Florida: travel and destinations, health and wellness, fashion and lifestyle, technology and vacation rentals.
“Every year, tens of thousands of Canadian and American winter visitors migrate to the state of Florida to escape the cold winter weather of the north. ‘Snowbird Extravaganza’ is a homecoming and a celebration of this unique way of life, the ‘Snowbird Lifestyle’,” he said in a written statement.
And it’s not just information on Florida living that’s available at the extravaganza; there’s plenty of prizes to win and entertainment on three stages.
This year, that entertainment includes:
Three-time Grammy Award-winner Walter Ostanek.
Canadian country-folk music star Valdy.
The classic comedy of John Wing
Canadian comedian Jimmy Flynn.
Fiddle-playing and dancing family Next Generation Leahy.
Nashville recording artist Crystal Gage.
Mo Vint’s Harmonicats.
And The Toronto All-Star Big Band.
Also, new this year will be the SuperDogs, featuring the family pets of more than 100 trainers across North America — multiple breeds, mixes and plenty of rescues — performing a variety of tricks and stunts.
From his home in Ottawa, Canada, past Canadian Snowbird Association president Bob Slack and his wife, Lois, said they have ventured into Florida for the winter for the past 26 years and this year will be no exception. The 81-year-old retired elementary school principal said he and his wife live in the Four Lakes Golf Club Retirement Community in Winter Haven from November until mid-April each year. He said for him, the extravaganza is about camaraderie.
“I enjoy the fellowship that’s there and meeting from all over, especially Central Florida. People come a long way to Lakeland to the Extravaganza,” he said, citing busses that transport folks from The Villages about 70 miles north of Lakeland.
“They may bump into people that they haven’t seen in quite a while. And there’s a great variety of vendors that interest the snowbird population and the fantastic entertainment – and it’s all free of charge,” he said.
Sponsors of the Snowbird Extravaganza include Medipac Travel Insurance, Haleon, Spectrum, Snowbird Currency Exchange, CSA Auto/Home Insurance and the Canadian Snowbird Association.
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If you go
WHAT: Snowbird Extravaganza
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 30-31
WHERE: RP Funding Center, 701 W. Lime St., Lakeland
COST: Free
INFO: www.snowbirdextravaganza.com; www.rpfundingcenter.com/event-details/?eventId=32512; 863-834-8100
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland to host Snowbird Extravaganza for first time since 2020
