The Ocala Culinary Festival is making its debut on March 1 and will feature five days of fabulous food and wine events. In recent years, Ocala has really been stepping up its dining game and has even earned two prestigious Florida Trend Golden Spoon awards. While Ocala was once home to only chain restaurants, it now boasts several fantastic eateries. This event was designed to showcase Marion County as a foodie destination and will hopefully put Ocala on the culinary map.
Development in downtown Ocala continues, and with a growing dining, shopping and entertainment scene, parking is a more valuable commodity than ever. Downtown parking is very limited and in an attempt to make it more readily available to patrons, the city is developing and implementing ongoing plans aimed at encouraging downtown business owners and employees to park in the readily available free parking garage, so that on-street parking spaces and lots are available for customers.
Ocala's Florida Horse Park hosted the Ocala Winter II Horse Trials this past weekend where more participants competed in the event since 2009 when the eventing trial was founded. More than 600 horses participated from around the country and were represented by competing family members, Olympians, and event newcomers alike.
Plenty of fun is in the entertainment pipeline in the coming weeks in Ocala.
This Friday, the Appleton Museum of Art will host the Frida-By-Moonlight party from 6:30 to 8:30 PM as part of the museum's Frida Kahlo exhibit. The party will feature Mexican cuisine, cocktails and live Latin music.
Ocala Regional Medical Center recently received a whopping financial investment of $56 million. This will provide for a tremendous amount of improvements as well as expansion. There will be a complete overhaul of the emergency department that will allow for more ER rooms as well as for an additional 34 patient beds. There will also be additional operating rooms and support facilities, plus increased catheterization lab space and a larger medical imaging center.
Northwest Ocala is soon to be home to a new Rural King Supply, featuring a retail store and distribution center that will be located at US 27 and NW 27th Avenue. Rural King, self-proclaimed as "Americas farm and home store," offers a variety of products including all types of farm supplies, clothing, housewares, tools, fencing and more.
Based out of Mattoon, Illinois and founded in 1960, the company has 85 stores around the United States, but considering that this new Ocala development will not only include retail but a distribution center as well, it is big news for the city. It means more jobs and a boost to the local economy.
West Ocala has undergone and continues to experience a revitalization, with many community projects aimed at improving the neighborhood. There has been a major push to make healthy food more accessible in this area, which is currently considered a "food desert." Paradise Park Plaza is a major development aimed at addressing this problem while helping to reinvigorate the area.
The Country Club of Ocala is under new ownership, as it was recently purchased by CCO Hospitality, LLC. With new ownership comes a $2 million renovation project that will not only include repairs and upgrades, but will also include the addition of a wide range of services.
If you're looking for an established community with tons of charm in Ocala, you will not want to miss Woodfields. It is a collection of neighborhoods in "Old Ocala" known for its canopied streets lined with live oaks and homes full of character dating as far back as the 19th century.
Ocala is horse country, and the holiday horse shows have begun!
The Horse Shows In The Sun (HITS) Ocala holiday series began earlier this month, so preparation is officially underway for the big circuit that includes ten weeks of hunter/jumper shows that will begin on January 17th. The first holiday Ocala HITS show was held from December 1-4 and the second holiday show began this past Wednesday and wraps up today.
The lovely Arbors neighborhood has perhaps the lowest inventory of all of the neighborhoods in Ocala, with only one home on the market representing one month of inventory. As compared with the rest of Ocala and Marion County as a whole, which both maintain balanced markets with approximately six months of inventory, the Arbors is certainly a seller's market.
Get ready, Ocala, because holiday season is officially here. December brings plenty of entertainment options and holiday fun, and the first December weekend is full of festivities.
This Saturday, Ocala Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday subscription-series concerts begin at 7:30 PM and again at 3 PM on Sunday at the Reilly Arts Center. "The Snowman," an Oscar-nominated animated short film provides the inspiration for the first half of the show, which will feature its music as well as the movie itself projected on a large screen above the orchestra. Holiday pop tunes will be featured in the second half of the orchestra's performance.
If you are looking to live in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Ocala, you don't want to miss Bellechase. This stunning neighborhood is one of Ocala's only premier luxury communities of single-family homes that features a 24-hour guarded gate for ultimate security and exclusivity.
The entire country is expected to have a very strong holiday shopping season this year, and Marion County is no exception. The National Retail Federation is expecting a 3.6% increase over 2015's numbers, with approximately $655.8 billion in sales this November and December, and that doesn't even include cars, gas or restaurants.
Furthermore, the Florida Retail Federation is predicting a 4% increase in sales over 2015, and the boost could be attributed to Florida's record low 4.8% unemployment rate, the strong tourism market here and Florida's strong housing market.
Let's check in with Ocala Highlands, which is an established neighborhood in southeast Ocala featuring single family homes averaging approximately 1,400 square feet that are situated on lots featuring plenty of mature trees.
Conveniently located near Ocala Municipal Golf Course, as well as near great shopping, dining, and recreational options, this is a great neighborhood to consider for your new home. There are 13 homes on the market here representing 4.5 months of inventory. Even though the inventory level sways slightly towards a seller's market, the sheer number of homes available here is good news for buyers. Comparatively, Ocala as a whole has 6.5 months of inventory and Marion County overall has 7.2 months of inventory, and both of these numbers represent fairly balanced markets. Typically, more than six months of inventory would suggest a buyer's market and less than six months of inventory would suggest a seller's market.
Locally-trained Marion County horses recently gave Ocala yet another reason to be proud of it horse culture.
The Breeder's Cup Distaff that took place last week featured a photo finish between two horses, both of which were from Marion County. Beholder beat out Songbird by just inches, and the prize-winning horse was broken locally by Raul Reyes' Kings Equine for Spendthrift Farm.
Let's check in with Country Club of Ocala, where the big news here is that there is a whopping 31.2 months of inventory represented by 13 homes currently on the market. We have an undeniable buyer's market on our hands here, with quite a few homes to choose from and less than one home selling on average oer month. Ocala as a whole has 6.7 months of inventory and Marion County as a whole has 7.4 months of inventory. Both of these numbers indicate a fairly balanced market. There is nothing balanced, however, about the market in Country Club of Ocala.
With constant growth in Ocala, it should come as no surprise that there is more residential development on the horizon in Marion County and potentially a new equine services development, as well.
A new housing development was just approved by the Marion County commission and will be located southwest of the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club.
Let's check in with Rolling Hills, a beautiful community of single-family homes located in Southwest Ocala. This neighborhood features newer construction homes that were built in the early 2000’s. They are situated on generously sized lots averaging at least an acre. The neighborhood is conveniently located near State Road 200 and Southwest Corridor shopping, dining, entertainment and medical facilities. Rolling Hills is great for families, and just as the name suggests, offers plenty of green space.
Downtown Ocala is a thriving neighborhood, and it just continues to become home to new and hip business and restaurants. Downtown is proving so far to be a worthwhile investment for developers, as well as a desirable destination for locals. There is always something new to check out or a budding development on the horizon.
