The county is seeking local vendors and food trucks to participate in the upcoming Marion County Day, a community-wide event that celebrates the history of the county in anticipation to the nation’s 250th birthday.
The celebration is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the McPherson Campus, which is located at 601 SE 25th Avenue in Ocala.
Officials expect more than 10,000 attendees for the event, which will serve as a kickoff for “Marion Celebrates America 250.”
The upcoming event will celebrate this journey alongside the nation’s semiquincentennial. Highlights for the day include a “Battle of the Drumlines” by Marion County Public Schools, food trucks, and family-friendly fun.
Businesses and organizations interested in setting up a booth or food truck are encouraged to register early. Those wishing to participate can sign up online at the Marion County Day 2026 webpage.
The county’s history dates back to the U.S. government’s acquisition of Florida in 1821, when scouts were first sent to survey the peninsula. By 1825, the government had established an agency to oversee the Seminole population in the area, and the U.S. Army set up a military outpost to protect the northern boundary of the reservation.
During the 1840s, pioneers began settling in present-day Marion County, drawn by free land offered under the Armed Occupation Act. At that time, the area was still divided among Alachua, Mosquito (now Orange), and Hillsborough counties.
With the nearest county seat a difficult 50-mile journey away in Alachua, early settlers grew restless for their own governance. This led Gabriel Priest, the first state senator from the area, to introduce a bill creating the new county. The law was signed by Territorial Governor Richard Keith Call on March 25, 1844.
Since its founding, the county has grown substantially, evolving from those early pioneer days into a hub of economic development that now holds the title of “Horse Capital of the World.”
Will you attend this year’s Marion County Day? Share your comments below or send us a letter to the editor.