Ocala Style Magazine

You are cordially invited to celebrate Ocala’s newest brides and grooms, get a glimpse into their most special of days and hear firsthand about the memories that will always hold a place in their hearts. BRITTANY & KYLE KERN. November 13th, 2021. Venue:. Protea Weddings and Events. Photographer:. Brittany...

Thinking inside the box is a great way to offer tasty treats for picnics, poolside or boating. Once I became a mother, summer took on a different meaning. It was a carefree time when schedules didn’t matter and fun with my children and family was most important. And, after we put in our swimming pool, outings for groups small and large seemed to always take place at our home.

Share the Love Ocala hosts summer camps for abused or neglected children in the foster care system. The 6-year-old girl had been acting like a horse all week—neighing and galloping. She seemed to love being at the lake, but her counselors soon learned that getting her to engage in any activity was hopeless.

By the time these words are in print, June will have come and gone, and with it another summer of fun at Camp Kiwanis. Summer camps have been a rite of passage for generations and these days there are more types of camps than ever. Day camps and overnight programs abound and many have themes, such as music, science and sports. Camp Kiwanis remains much as it always has, a week of fun with friends that is just a bit nostalgic.

With rarely combed hair and heavily chewed fingernails, Marie wasn’t a classic third-grade beauty. Then again, I was not exactly leading man material in 1975. I do not remember much about third grade, really—only Marie and my kick-danger-in-the-teeth commitment to get her attention. Take, for example, the thumbtacks we found on the teacher’s desk. When Marie and I saw the box, we had the same thought: tap shoes.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an exclusive chapter excerpt from local author JoAnn Guidry’s recently published book, Winner’s Circle: The Legacy of the Florida Thoroughbred Industry. The limited-edition book chronicles the history of Ocala’s thoroughbred industry through the stories of the 12 Florida-bred racehorses currently in the National...

Marion County is blessed with an abundance of talented local authors. Here are synopses of books by just a few of them. Journalist David Cook educated and entertained readers for years through his The Way It Was columns in the Ocala Star-Banner. Through his writings, accompanied by historic photographs, many newcomers came to learn about the community and longtime residents remembered events from the past.

Within a short span of time, it’s easy to reach some of Florida’s most historic and vibrant communities. In this ongoing series, we highlight some great destinations that will make you want to hit the road. As travelers embark on new adventures, we encourage taking appropriate health precautions.

Start with a generous measure of old-Florida history and charm. Add miles of pristine beaches and winding waterways. Toss in watersports, championship golf, biking, horseback riding and big-league baseball. Stir in the vibe of a lively arts, entertainment, shopping and dining scene. Then put all that together in one destination just a three-hour drive from Ocala and what do you get?

Summertime in Florida usually means folks are looking for places to cool off, kick back and take it easy. In Marion County, we are blessed with an abundance of waterways that can help with cooling off and the Ocala National Forest has shaded copses perfect for chilling out. Short drives can have us putting our toes in the sand at beaches on either coast.

“The Official Florida Flamingo Museum” is right here in Ocala. There is a floor-to-ceiling explosion of pink flamingos—which would be called a flamboyance in a natural setting—inside Cindy Dunlow Frames in the Six Gun Plaza in east Ocala. There are so many of the iconic colorful and leggy birds nesting here that Dunlow once set a mark for flamingo-related items recognized by the Guinness World Records.

A guide to our favorite monthly happenings and can’t-miss events. The Summer Kids Film Series runs through August 5th. Dates and times vary. Children enjoy movies for $3 (includes juice, popcorn and fruit snacks). $5 for adults. Upcoming movies include family favorites such as Sing 2, How to Train Your Dragon, PAW Patrol, Where the Wild Things Are, The Lorax and Gnomeo and Juliet. Step inside a cool, dark movie theater and enjoy the show. Visit reillyartscenter.com/mariontickets for more info.

If you’re new to Florida gardening, welcome to the jungle. And boy, will you need to change your mind about—and techniques for—plant care and gardening. Being a native Floridian gave me the woefully mistaken idea that gardening here was easy. Almost anything and everything grew in the subtropical climate of St. Petersburg. Sure, there was sandy soil to amend, but with lots of sunshine, natural rainwater and Gulf Coast breezes, a garden vegetable patch or flowers was a pretty easy hobby.

When the summer sunshine beckons, but the heat is oppressive, head for these cool aquatic escapes. Lucky Ocalans, living in the center of a peninsula brings us close to innumerable opportunities for swimming—sparkling cerulean pools, water parks and splash pads, gentle rivers, spectacular springs and freshwater lakes—many within an easy hour’s drive.

This gorgeous freshwater spring offers a true natural Florida experience. The sounds of people enjoying the great outdoors reaches your ears well before your eyes feast on the aquamarine and teal colors of the beautiful Bronson Blue Spring. This freshwater spring and park in Levy County, just a few miles...

The multicultural family festival returned to Ocala on May 21st with entertainers, craft and vendor exhibits, food, music and attendees enjoying the beautiful plaza in downtown Ocala. The event was founded by Joe Ortiz to celebrate Latin culture. Healthy 55 Car Show & Farmers Market. ONE HEALTH CENTER. Photos by...

Helen Walkup Cairns, who grew up in Marion County, has published her father’s diary, in which he recounts being a B-17 pilot during World War II. Eighth Army Air Force pilots of the B-17 Flying Fortress flew some of the most dangerous missions during World War II. These brave aviators, many of whom were novices, came from all over the U.S., including a young man from McIntosh, a small town in northern Marion County.

Single parenting has its ups and downs but also many rewards, says this Ocala dad. The consensus is unanimous. Sid Schrum is a great dad, say his 23-year-old sons, David, Matthew and Sam, and daughter Anna, 19. All four of the children were adopted as babies through overseas agencies—the three boys, unrelated, are from Kazakhstan, and Anna is from China. Raising four children, especially when they’re close in age, can be a challenge. But Sid says everyone has worked together to keep the household going—like a “well-oiled machine.”

Equine racing, tailgating and even fashions on the field thrill participants and attendees. In equestrian circles, it is widely understood that the first Saturday in May represents just one thing: the running of the historic Kentucky Derby in Louisville. If Archie Macauley and Jessica Berry have any say, the first Saturday in March will become synonymous with The Florida Steeplechase in Ocala.

Craig Bachrodt is taking on a 100-mile run in the Colorado Rockies to honor mothers and raise money for charities. Craig Bachrodt remembers his first run with a specific sentimental clarity. “My earliest and fondest memory of running was with my mom when I was 14. It was a snowy night in my hometown of Rockford, Illinois,” Bachrodt, 54, says with a smile. “The night was nearly silent other than our feet making gently crunching sounds over the three inches of snow as we ran straight down the middle of Inverness Drive. Just my mom and me. I still remember it like it was yesterday.”