The Ocala City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to cancel the upcoming Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round-Up event.
The large-scale event, which historically attracts 5,000 to 6,000 visitors, was originally scheduled to take place Sat. Feb. 13.
City Council members voted in favor of minimizing potential COVID-19 exposure within the community by canceling the four-hour, large-scale event. Factors included the inability to minimize the time attendees will spend in a crowded environment and limiting crowd size, which hinders proper social distancing measures of six feet.
The Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round Up serves as a fundraising opportunity for the Discovery Center in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Marion County. The major fundraiser activity is the Marion Rotary Duck Derby that takes place during the event.
Despite the cancellation of the popular event, the Rotary Clubs will continue to raise money for the Discover Center and other local non-profits. Information about adopting a duck for the Duck Derby is available at www.marionduckderby.org.
For more information about Cattle Drive and Cowboy Round-Up, visit www.ocalafl.org/cattledrive or call (352) 368-5517.