Major Events and New Happenings in Florida 2005

2005 brings with it many exciting new developments throughout Florida, along with some of the best events the state has to offer. From hotel and resort news to attraction happenings, Florida promises to thrill visitors with the amenities they expect and surprise them with new, even better vacation delights. (Listings are from North to South).

The listings below are only a sampling of activities and events Florida hosts each year. In addition to festivals, information on hundreds of events that occur in Florida can be found on VISIT FLORIDA’s web site at www.VISITFLORIDA.com To order a copy of VISIT FLORIDA’s new 2005 Visitor’s Guide, click on “planning” on the site.

Attractions

Jacksonville – The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is celebrating the first-ever birth of a koala at the zoo. Joeys, as infant Koalas are called, are rarely born in captivity in the U.S. Koala parents Biala and Bundaleer are on loan to the Jacksonville Zoo from the San Diego Zoo.
(904) 757-4463. www.jaxzoo.org

Lake Buena Vista – Walt Disney World announces “Disney’s Magical Express,” which offers complimentary airport shuttle, luggage delivery and airline check-in for Disney hotel guests. Beginning May 5, guests of Disney hotels using the service can check their bags at their hometown airports, bypass baggage claim at Orlando International Airport and board state-of-the-art motorcoaches to the Walt Disney World Resort – bags will “magically” appear in their rooms upon check-in.
(407) W-DISNEY(9-347639). www.disneyworld.com

Orlando – Wet ‘n Wild – Orlando will open a new ride this Spring that allows visitors to boogie down retro-style in the new raft adventure, Disco H20. Riders can splash to the pumping hits of the 70′s while spinning through an enclosed aqua disco.
(407) 354-2079. www.wetnwildorlando.com

Tampa – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will unveil the nation’s first dive coaster, SheiKra, this spring. The new roller coaster will carry riders up 200 feet at 45 degrees, then hurtle them 70 mph back toward the ground at a 90 degree angle. As the eighth member of the park’s family of renowned coasters, SheiKra will serve as the centerpiece of a new, lushly themed habitat within Busch Gardens’ Stanleyville area.
(800) 4ADVENTURE (423-836-8873). www.4ADVENTURE.com

Key Biscayne – Miami Seaquarium has completed a $250,000 renovation of its Florida Manatee Exhibit. Visitors can now learn about the endangered manatee while watching them though large underwater windows. The exhibit also offers interactive educational graphics on the history, evolution, anatomy and endangerment issues facing the Florida manatee.
(305) 361-5705. www.miamiseaquarium.com

Hotels & Resorts

St. Augustine – The PGA TOUR Spa Laterra at the World Golf Village is now open. The world-class, full-service spa is at the centerpiece of Laterra, a luxurious courtyard community, located in the King & Bear at World Golf Village. The first such facility to bear the PGA TOUR name, Spa Laterra features special golf-enhancement services and fitness programs comparable to those used on the PGA TOUR, as well as traditional spa services.
(904) 940-7800. www.pgatourspa.com

Steinhatchee – Steinhatchee Landing will open its brand-new 4,000 square foot Georgia Cracker style center in March 2005. The new space provides a registration area and larger dining space with seating for 28 inside and 16 on the wrap-around porch. Guests will enjoy the expanded accommodations and a new gift shop.
(352) 498-3513. www.steinhatcheelanding.com

Daytona Beach – The Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort will re-open in June 2005 as a spa resort with a new name – The Shores Resort & Spa. The 214-room resort will include the new SpaTerre & Fitness Center, a fine dining Baleen restaurant and renovated guest rooms, public spaces and meeting space. 
(800) 525-7350. www.shoresresort.com

Naples – The Registry Resort & Club opened the doors to The Sanctuary, its new spa facility offering a full complement of services and amenities, including 13 Asian-style treatment rooms, refurbished dressing rooms and expanded reception and relaxation areas. The Sanctuary is the latest component of The Registry Resort & Club’s recent multi-million dollar renovation.
(800) 247-9810. www.registryresort.com

Fort Lauderdale –  Best Western Pelican Beach Resort’s new 11-story building on the beach has replaced the low-rise buildings that once welcomed families to the area. The new facility offers private balconies in oceanfront suites, a player piano in the library and guest rooms and suites that are reminiscent of gracious guesthouses and cottages of Florida’s past. (954) 568-9431. www.pelicanbeach.com

Coral Gables (near Miami) – The Biltmore Hotel is in the final stages of an $8.5 million, top-to-bottom renovation of its 280 guest rooms and suites. The renovations include new furnishings and artwork in all rooms and the installation of flat screen plasma TV’s in the specialty suites. The hotel will also introduce a brand new, 12,000 square foot destination spa on the seventh floor. The spa will offer a luxurious and sophisticated setting for state-of-the-art treatments and services.
(800) 727-1926. www.biltmorehotel.com

Miami Beach – Fontainebleau Hilton Resort will celebrate its 50th anniversary and the opening of Fontainebleau Tower with 462 luxury suites in February. Guests will also be welcomed by seven waterfalls and fountains, palm trees, tropical flowers and a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean. Also in early 2005, the resort will introduce its new 15,000 square foot world class spa.
(305) 538-2000. www.fontainebleauhilton.com

Cultural

Winter Park –  The Morse Museum of American Art will open Domestic Treasures: Tiffany Art Glass for the Public, an exhibition of more than 80 blown glass objects from the museum’s permanent collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The exhibit will be on view through January 14, 2007.
(407) 645-5311. www.morsemuseum.org

St. Petersburg – Diana, A Celebration, will be on display at the Florida International Museum Feb. 19 through May 22. This award-winning exhibit will celebrate the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales. It will showcase over 150 items, including her royal wedding gown, 28 designer gowns, personal possessions and letters and film footage.
(727) 822-3693. www.floridamuseum.org

Fort Myers – A nine million dollar restoration project at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates is scheduled to be completed this year. The project includes refurbishments to the guesthouse, caretaker cottage and the house itself. New landscaping work will reflect the landscape of the estate during the time of its famous residents.
(239) 334-3614. www.edison-ford-estate.com

Palm Beach – The Flagler Museum will unveil the new Flagler Kenan Pavilion this winter. The new 8,100 square foot pavilion, which houses Henry Morrison Flagler’s private railcar, is reminiscent of a 19th century railway palace. The Pavilion will be open to the public during regular museum hours beginning February 4.
(561) 655-2833. www.flaglermuseum.us

Fort Lauderdale – The Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale will be home to the “mummy” of all exhibitions in December 2005 when it welcomes Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of Pharaohs. More than 130 rare items and artifacts associated with the Egyptian “boy king” will be on display for the first time in the United States in nearly 30 years.
(800) 22-SUNNY (78669). www.sunny.org

Transportation

Pensacola – American Eagle/American Airlines re-started service to Pensacola Regional Airport with daily flights to Dallas, and in December and January, Delta Connection expanded its non-stop service on routes to Cincinnati, New York City (JFK), Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa. www.flypensacola.com

Southwest Florida – The Midfield Terminal Complex of the Southwest Florida International Airport is scheduled to open this Spring. The two-story terminal will replace the existing 17-gate terminal building and will open with 28 aircraft gates along three concourses. The 798,000 square foot terminal is one of the first in the United States to be built with new security equipment and procedures incorporated into the design. www.SWFIA.com

Major Events

Superbowl XXXIX
February 6, 2005
ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville
Jacksonville is offering a well-organized, compact Super Bowl to ensure “the game” is always front and center. Expect several thousand hotel rooms, a flotilla of luxury cruise ships, the Media Center and NFL Headquarters, the Times-Union SuperFest, the NFL Experience, the Pepsi Super Bowl Concert Series and many other traditional NFL events located within a two-mile radius of the stadium.
(904) 493-7239.www.jacksonvillesuperbowl.com

SeaWorld’s BBQ Fest
February 26-27 and March 5-6, 2005
Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando will once again fire up the grill and turn up the music for two weekends of mouthwatering fun during the 5th annual BBQ Fest. This all-American event will feature live performances by top country artists, bodacious barbeque from select U.S. regions and plenty of southern hospitality.
(800) 327-2424. www.seaworld.com

Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In
Lakeland
April 12-18, 2005
The City of Lakeland and the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport annual Spring Celebration of Flight, Sun ‘n Fun, brings together those from all over the world, and from all segments of the aviation community to enjoy the best fly-in experience ever. Year-round venues include the Florida Air Museum at Sun ‘n Fun and Gifts of Flight.
(863) 644-2431. www.sun-n-fun.org

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame’s 2005 Induction Ceremony
April 30, 2005
Cape Canaveral
Share a historical American event as space heroes gather to honor their own during the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame’s 2005 Induction Ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The Induction Ceremony is included as part of regular admission, although special packages with reserved seating are available.
(321) 449-4444. www.kennedyspacecenter.com

Florida International Festival
July 15-31, 2005
Daytona Beach
This multi-day event features the London Symphony Orchestra, which calls the Daytona Beach area its official American summer home. Other international performers are also scheduled. Expect a range of music and dance, comedy and family favorites.
(386) 257-7790. www.fif-lso.org

Biketoberfest
October 20-23, 2005
Daytona Beach
This international event attracts motorcycle enthusiasts from throughout the U.S. and Canada. Festivities include motorcycle races, charity rides, street festivals and expos. Participate in this family-friendly event and give your motorcycle one last ride before winter.
(866) 296-8970. www.biketoberfest.org

Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival
November 16-19,2005
Titusville
Participants at this festival can explore the globally significant natural area of Florida’s Space Coast, home to the largest group of endangered wildlife and plants in the continental United States. The festival features unique birding, wildlife and nature and technology tours, boat and kayaking tours, field trips, seminars, evening keynote presentations and workshops led by nationally recognized naturalists and scientists.
(321) 268-5224. www.nbbd.com/fly. 

Gamble Plantation Holiday Open House
December 2005
Ellenton
Visitors to this event can experience an authentic Civil War encampment, tour the Gamble mansion and Patten house and enjoy food and music. Highlights will include a live cannon display and Civil War field equipment and early craft demonstrations.
(941) 723-4536. www.flagulfislands.com

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Please note: The above listings are only a sampling of activities and events Florida hosts each year. In addition to festivals, information on hundreds of events that occur in Florida can be found on VISIT FLORIDA’s web site at www.VISITFLORIDA.com FLORIDA.com. Related photos available upon request. For further details or media information or to request a copy of VISIT FLORIDA’s new Visitor’s Guide, contact Henny Groenendijk at telephone 416 485 2563 ext. 231 or e-mail: hgroenendijk@thermrgroup.ca and/or visit www.media.VISITFLORIDA.org

VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official source for travel planning, is the premier sales and marketing organization that promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations and visitor services programs both domestically and internationally. Working with the world’s major travel writers, media and broadcasters to produce print and broadcast paid and earned media, VISIT FLORIDA programs reach more than two billion potential visitors each year. VISIT FLORIDA maintains domestic offices in Tallahassee, New York and Chicago and has international offices in Germany, London, Paris, Montreal, Toronto and a dedicated office in Miami serving Latin America. VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,200 tourism industry Partners and major strategic alliances with Hertz, American Express Travel Related Services, AirTran Airways, and the Florida Hotel & Motel Association. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit the media section at media.VISITFLORIDA.org or view the consumer web site www.VISITFLORIDA.com

January 31, 2005   Posted in: United States SouthEast