HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 13 Ocoee Christmas Parade.
City of Ocoee ▪ 1 N. Bluford Avenue ▪ Ocoee, Florida 34761
Phone: (407) 905-3100 ▪ www.ocoee.org
STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: June 6, 2023
Item #: 13
Contact Name: Mark Johnson Department Director: Mark Johnson
Contact Number: Ext. 5002 City Manager: Robert Frank
Subject: Ocoee Christmas Parade. (Parks and Recreation Director Johnson)
Background Summary:
The Ocoee Christmas Parade was an annual event organized by the Ocoee Lions Club on the first Saturday
of December. The Ocoee Lions Club staffed the event and managed all aspects of the parade from
registration, approval of participants, route, permitting, load-in, broadcasting, and load-out. In 2020, COVID
restrictions canceled the parade, and since that time, the Ocoee Lions Club has seen a decline in
membership, causing them to no longer be able to organize the parade. Parks and Recreation currently hosts
a Breakfast with Santa in the morning, and the Holiday Jolly Jamboree event in the evening on the second
Saturday of each December, utilizing all department staff for those events. Organizing the Ocoee Christmas
Parade, which would need to be scheduled for the afternoon on the first Saturday of December due to the City
of Winter Garden permanently setting their Christmas Parade for 10am that weekend, would require utilizing all
department staff two consecutive weekends, impacting other services provided by Parks and Recreation during
that time. These events also require road closeres through the downrtown area, and could impact businesses
accordingly. At the May 16, 2023 Commission Meeting, the Commission directed staff to bring back discussion
of the Christmas Parade to the June 6th Commission meeting.
Issue:
Should the Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners approve staff to re-establish the Christmas Parade on
December 2, 2023, and then continue the tradition the first Saturday of December in future years?
Recommendations:
Staff requests direction from the Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners on the re-establishment of the
Ocoee Christmas Parade with staff overseeing all aspects of the operation.
Attachments:
None
Financial Impacts:
General Budge FY 23/24
Type of Item: Regular
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