Submitted By: Michelle Taylor
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Presentation By: Endira Madraveren
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Department: Growth Management
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
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Resolution 2026-4 for the Downtown Event Zone to allow alcoholic beverage sales as part of the 2025 Ocala Art Festival Saturday and Sunday, October 25 and 26, 2025 (Quasi-Judicial)
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Economic Hub, Quality of Place
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND: Fine Arts for Ocala, Inc. (FAFO) requests to utilize the city’s Downtown Event Zone ordinance for the 2025 Ocala Art Festival to allow on-premises licensed vendors within the event zone to sell beer, wine, and liquor as part of the art festival being held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following vendors will be participating:
• Bank Street Patio Bar
• Big Hammock Brewery
• Brick City Southern Kitchen
• District Bar & Kitchen
• Harry’s Seafood
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Sushi Bistro
• Tipsy Skipper
• Mutiny Ocala
• Ivy on the Square
• Marion Theater
• Agapanthus
• Baron’s Creek Vineyards
• The Lodge
• O’Malley’s Alley
• Downtown Billiards
• Stella’s Modern Pantry
• La Cuisine
• Cantina Tex Mex
• Mark’s Prime
• Marion Cultural Alliance
• Black Sheep on Broadway
• 18 South Sports Bar
• Mellow Mushroom
The following vendors will not be participating or outside the FAFO event zone:
• Sipping Grounds
• Symmetry Coffee
• Sayulita Taqueria
• Katya Vineyards
FAFO has provided a Certificate of Liability insuring the City of Ocala. The Ocala Police Department and other city departments have reviewed the event layout and process for selling beer and wine during the event and did not identify any issues with the proposed event. Ocala police officers will be on-site to provide security throughout the event.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
• Section 6-9 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, provides an exception to allow for possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on streets, sidewalks, and public parking facilities, inside the downtown event zone during the event times. This shall only include alcohol sales by on-premises licensed vendors in the downtown event zone.
• Special events utilizing the city’s event zone ordinance must be recognized and approved by resolution of the City Council at a public hearing.
• This proposed special event will be the first of 12 that are permitted for the year 2025.
• Staff recommends approval.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The 2025 Ocala Art Festival will bring entertainment to downtown Ocala and promote the entire community.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
N/A
LEGAL REVIEW:
This Agreement will be reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve with Changes
• Table
• Deny
RESOLUTION 2026-4
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, PROVIDING FOR APPROVAL BY THE OCALA CITY COUNCIL FOR THE POSSESSION AND CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (BEER, WINE, AND LIQUOR) FOR A DOWNTOWN EVENT ZONE TWO-DAY SPECIAL EVENT (2025 OCALA ART FESTIVAL) ON SATURDAY/SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 & 26, 2025, HELD IN DOWNTOWN OCALA
WHEREAS, Section 6-9 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, provides an exception to allow for the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages on streets, sidewalks, and public parking facilities for special events in the downtown event zone; and
WHEREAS, Section 6-9 requires that such special events must be recognized and approved by resolution of the City Council at a public hearing; and
WHEREAS, the Ocala Art Festival will take place in the approved downtown event zone on Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Fine Arts for Ocala, Inc. (FAFO) has provided a list, shown below, of all licensed vendors within the event zone who will be participating and who will not be participating; and
WHEREAS, Fine Arts for Ocala, Inc. (FAFO) has provided a description of the type and color of open containers being used during this special event; and
WHEREAS, the Ocala Art Festival is the first of 12 permitted downtown events for the year 2025 that are allowed by Section 6-9(c)(4); and
WHEREAS, the Ocala Police Department has reviewed this request for alcoholic beverages and has determined that officers will be on-site to provide security throughout the event.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, in regular session duly assembled as follows:
in regular session as follows:
The on-premise licensed vendors that will sell beer, wine, and liquor for consumption in the event zone (see Exhibit “A”) as part of the art festival on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm are: Bank Street Patio Bar, Big Hammock Brewery, Brick City Southern Kitchen, District Bar & Kitchen, Harry’s Seafood, Hilton Garden Inn, Sushi Bistro, Tipsy Skipper, Mutiny Ocala, Ivy’s on the Square, Marion Theater, Agapanthus, Baron’s Creek Vineyards, The Lodge, O’Malley’s Alley, Downtown Billiards, Stella’s Modern Pantry, La Cuisine, Cantina Tex Mex, Mark’s Prime Steakhouse, Marion Cultural Alliance, 18 South Sports Bar, Mellow Mushroom and Black Sheep on Broadway
The following vendors will not be participating or outside the FAFO event zone: Sipping Grounds, Symmetry Coffee, Sayulita Taqueria, and Katya Vineyards
This resolution adopted this ______ day of ______________________, 2025.
ATTEST: CITY OF OCALA
By: By:
Angel B. Jacobs Kristen M. Dreyer
City Clerk President, Ocala City Council
Approved as to form and legality:
By: _________________________________
William E. Sexton
City Attorney