City of Ocoee prepares for 2025 centennial anniversary celebrations

On May 13, 2025, the city of Ocoee will turn 100 years old, and preparations for the centennial celebrations have begun to ensure the anniversary is a big, yearlong event befitting of the milestone.

“(This) centennial celebration is a rare opportunity to reflect on the city’s past, celebrate our present and prepare for an exciting and successful future,” Activity Support Services Director Doug Gaines said. “In October 2023, the city marked the town of Ocoee’s 100-year anniversary during the grand opening event for Unity Park. Shortly after, the City Commission directed staff to begin planning the city centennial celebration. You asked us to make these celebratory events a huge big deal.”

At the direction of the commission, Gaines and city staff went to work, and at the Tuesday, July 16, Ocoee City Commission meeting he gave a presentation detailing the overview of what the city’s staff has in store to celebrate the anniversary. 

“Based on … your call to action, a dedicated planning committee has been brainstorming ways to make our centennial celebration something we can all be proud of,” Gaines said. “The committee involved the mayor, the city manager’s office and almost every single (city) department. … We’ve come up with a long list of opportunities to showcase and celebrate the city’s 100th birthday. … First, let’s start with the new proposed events. Our plan is to kick off the centennial celebration in January with a social media campaign to get everyone excited and generate media coverage and publicity. … Another new event will be the Valentine’s Day block party event. We’re planning on hosting a golf tournament Feb. 21. The big community celebration will be Friday, May 9, here at Bill Breeze Park. … The actual happy birthday event and time capsule ceremony will be May 13. We’re also planning on having a movie night and block party Nov. 14.”

Along with those new events, the city plans to add centennial-themed celebrations to the plethora of its existing community events, such as the Ocoee Music Festival, the monthly Ocoee Community Market and the Easter Eggstravaganza. 

“Our plan is to incorporate the 100-year anniversary theme into all of the city’s existing events,” Gaines said. “We have more than 20 city events throughout the year, and this gives us multiple opportunities to incorporate the centennial theme. … Our new monthly community market can be a great marketing tool for the centennial. Our ideas include having a 100-year anniversary tent set up at the markets with giveaways and activities.”

In other news

• Ocoee City Attorney A. Kurt Ardaman provided an update on a meeting held between seven Orange County cities regarding two Orange County Commission charter amendments that would restrict annexation powers of cities, such as Ocoee, and establish rural boundaries in the county. The cities represented at the meeting expressed concerns with the two charter amendments and agreed to craft a letter to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings requesting that the county engage with the cities regarding their concerns.
  
  
• The Ocoee City Commission voted unanimously to approve the nine-item consent agenda without discussion. The agenda approval includes spending $119,609 for the purchase of two SUVs for the Ocoee Police Department, the sale of city-owned property at 1 Taylor St. for $25,000 and a temporary parking lease for the use of a portion of 15 S. Bluford Ave. — which is owned by the Ocoee Christian Church — as a temporary public parking lot.
  
  
• A second reading of an ordinance for a second substantial amendment to lot eight of Fountains West planned unit development was withdrawn from the agenda.
  
  
• The commission read an ordinance for the first time that would amend the Ocoee Land Development Code in accordance with the requirements laid out by the Live Local Act — a bill passed at the state level that aims to increase the supply of affordable housing in Florida. The proposed amendment will be read for a second time at the Aug. 6 meeting, where the public will be able to comment.