PHOTO BY CASTALDO STUDIO VIA OCOEE MUSIC FEST
Ocoee announced Friday, July 17, that it will not host its annual Music Fest (Website) this year, canceling a community tradition that has run for more than 30 years. For a little context, in its three-decade history, Music Fest has been canceled only once before, and that was for COVID.
The free two-day concert was scheduled for November 13-14 at Bill Breeze Park. “We believe it’s important to take a conservative and fiscally responsible approach with taxpayer dollars,” city officials posted online. “While this event has become a favorite community tradition for over 30 years, our priority is ensuring that city resources are managed wisely during these uncertain times.”
The cancellation is directly tied to November’s property tax reform ballot amendment. If voters approve the amendment, Commissioner George Oliver III said Ocoee could lose more than $8 million in annual property tax revenue by 2028. Mayor Rusty Johnson proposed the cancellation during the July 7 City Commission meeting. “With what’s going on with the state, what’s going on with the fire fees, I’ve asked the city to postpone it.”
The city typically budgets a couple hundred thousand dollars each year for the concert, then raises a similar amount in donations and sponsorships. City Manager Craig Shadrix told the intrepid Norine Dworkin at Vox Populi that the city is “usually lucky to break even or go a little in the red.” Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the city contributed about $125,000 toward the festival each year. Rising costs and declining sponsorships have made the event increasingly expensive.
Rather than cancel outright, the city plans to hold multiple smaller live music events throughout the year as a lower-cost alternative. More on that soon.
