Sunshine State Games Alachua County Festival Update
TALLAHASSEE – The 42nd 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 registration deadline for Track and Field is Thursday, May 27. The event will be held on Saturday, May 29, at Santa Fe High School. Track and Field is the only event occurring on Memorial Day Weekend in Alachua County.
Track and Field athletes have used the Sunshine State Games as a springboard to national and international-level competitions. Justin Gatlin, of Pensacola, won a 100 meter dash gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and Hunter Kemper, of Longwood, was a member of four Olympic Triathlon teams between 1996 and 2008, both competed in the Sunshine State Games in the 1990s.
Gainesville native, Jearl Miles-Clark, ran in the 1982 Sunshine State Games, and was a member of four Olympic teams and won gold medals as a member of the 4X400 Relay team and 1996 and 2000,
The weekend of June 4-6 features Fencing at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center in Alachua, Swimming at the Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool and Tennis at the Joyce Oransky Westside Tennis Center.
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
Track and Field Online Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 27
Artistic Swimming Online Registration Deadline: Friday, May 28
Fencing Online Registration Deadline: Sunday, May 30
Tennis Registration Deadline: Wednesday, June 2
Archery Online Registration Deadline: Sunday, June 6 (On-site registration available on day of event)
The Archery, Tennis and Track and Field 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
Saturday, May 29
8:00 a.m: Track and Field @ Santa Fe High School
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
8:00 a.m.: Tennis @ Joyce Oransky Tennis Center at Westside Park
Sunday, June 6
8:00 a.m.: Fencing @ Legacy Park Multi-Purpose Center, Alachua
8:00 a.m.: Swimming @ Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool
8:00 a.m.: Tennis @ Joyce Oransky Tennis Center at Westside Park
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.