It’s the Thanksgiving season, and we have so much to be thankful for here in Ocala.
The natural beauty that surrounds us is stunning. The landscape is defined by picture-postcard perfect horse farms. Oak-canopied roads allow us to drive in shaded tunnels. More than 200 sun-splashed lakes and rivers offer respite and recreation. Boundless stretches of pines and sandhills stretch beyond the eye. For all this beauty we are grateful.
Our springs deserve special gratitude. Legendary Florida environmentalist Marjorie Stoneman Douglas famously called them “bowls of liquid light,” and they have brought joy to people in our region for millennia. As home to the most famous spring in the world, Silver Springs, we have a special affinity for the springs in our community. And Silver Springs is not our only spring of note. There are Rainbow, Juniper per and Silver Glen springs, all of which cool the body and stir the soul. Thank goodness for these natural wonders.
If natural beauty isn’t enough, Ocala has a vibrant arts community that has turned our city into something of an art mecca. Murals and sculptures abound in our downtown. The Appleton Museum is among the top museums in the land. The Ocala Civic Theater is a bastion of on-stage creativity and talent. The Reilly Center for the Arts has become a gathering place for musical and other performances. Dozens of other smaller artistic venues scatter the city. Ah, art is beauty, and thankfully our city is more beautiful and more colorful because of the abundance of art in our midst.
Nothing defines Ocala more than its horses. There are 70,000 of them here representing more than 50 breeds. We are the Horse Capital of the World and couldn’t be prouder. The local horse industry has grown into a $4 billion-a-year industry … and growing. Among that growth, significantly, is the emergence of the World Equestrian Center, which TIME magazine this year dubbed one of the 100 World’s Greatest Places. Of course, the rolling pastures and wooden fences encompassing our horse farms make for a strikingly beautiful landscape around our community. Horses are Ocala’s signature industry and for that we should be grateful.
Finally, Ocala is growing and prospering like few communities in America. With an influx of more than 1,100 new residents each month and ranked the sixth-fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation, Ocala is growing, growing, growing — with no end in sight. Whether it is retirees looking for the good life or young families looking for good jobs and a good life of another kind, Ocala is a destination for people migrating from across the country. Good jobs, good weather and good location combine to make our community a favored destination of Americans of all ages trying to start a new life. At a time when many communities are struggling to find their way, Ocala is a boomtown, and for that we should be grateful.
So, this Thanksgiving season take a minute and look around our wonderful community. There is a lot to love and, more important, a lot to be grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving!
