On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the City of Ocala opened six levels of free parking between West Broadway Street and West Fort King Street. Five weeks earlier, on Friday, July 31, Pink Hanger Boutique closed at 20 SW Broadway Street after 16 years. The two addresses are only a short walk apart.
That walk is new for most of us. Light Up Ocala on Saturday, Nov. 21, will be the first big downtown night with Parking Garage No. 2 open. Anyone who parks there will reach the square from the west, on the blocks that went through the most change in 2026. Downtown spent years with a parking problem. Its bigger problem now is the ground floors, and this December is the first chance to see both on one stroll.
Downtown Has a West Door Now
For ten years, downtown event parking meant the first city garage at 504 SE Broadway Street, across from Citizens' Circle and City Hall. When it opened in 2016, the Ocala Star-Banner reported 402 spaces and free parking. That put everyone on the east side of the square, next to the Citizens' Circle stage.
Garage No. 2 sits on the opposite side. You can enter from SW Second Avenue or SW Third Avenue. 352today reported that it has free parking for up to 800 vehicles and is within easy walking distance of the Historic Downtown Square. That is roughly twice the capacity of the first garage, and it adds a second way to reach the square.
The project took a while. According to Ocala-News.com, detours tied to the work started in October 2024. City Council approved an $18.5 million construction contract in late 2024. In late January 2025, the former Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church building on the site was demolished to make room for the garage. Construction started that spring. At the opening, the city's statement, as quoted by Ocala-News.com, put it plainly:
"Whether you're grabbing dinner, shopping local, attending an event or spending an afternoon on the Square, there's now another place to park and enjoy your downtown."
The Walk From SW Second Avenue
Leave the garage heading east and you'll be on Broadway or Fort King. Here are the addresses along the way, in order as you walk toward Magnolia Avenue and the square:
- The Gathering Cafe, 306 SW Broadway Street. A breakfast-and-lunch café, one of the newer downtown arrivals.
- District Bar & Kitchen, 110 SW Broadway Street. A restaurant and bar that opened in 2023.
- The former Pink Hanger Boutique, 20 SW Broadway Street. A 16-year downtown fixture that closed on July 31.
- The former Stella's Modern Pantry, right next door. It closed after 18 years and is moving to the Golden Hills Center on U.S. Highway 27.
- Barons Creek Vineyards, 16 SW Broadway Street. A wine-tasting room with small plates that opened on May 9, 2025.
One block south, Fort King Street has two more of the newer places. MOOYAH opened at 40 SW Fort King Street on Jan. 13, 2025, and Mellow Mushroom is at 2 W Fort King Street. Around the corner on SW 1st Avenue, La Cuisine closed in June after 17 years.
Put together, these few blocks hold two openings from 2025, two from 2023, and three longtime businesses that left in a single summer. 352today described it in September as a street of brick and iron balconies where "you hit the dark glass," and noted that Mellow Mushroom, MOOYAH, The Gathering Cafe and District Bar & Kitchen had filled some of the gap.
Why the Garage and the Grant Arrived Together
The closures go back further than this summer. In July, Ocala-News.com counted at least a dozen downtown closures of long-standing businesses since 2023, about ten of which had operated for more than a decade. The list includes Shannon Roth Collection, The Keep, Molly Maguire's, Corkscrew, Brown Dog Coffeehouse and Night Owl Bakery. Infinite Ale Works and Soleil moved to other Ocala locations.
The city's answer is a proposed Retail and Restaurant Attraction, Retention and Expansion Grant. It would put $500,000 toward downtown storefronts, reimbursing up to 75% of eligible façade and interior work, capped at $150,000 per project. In return, the owner or tenant would keep the space occupied for at least five years. In its September draft, rents would also be held to the rates locked in when the grant is paid. 352today reported that the CRA Board was scheduled to take it up before the end of the year, at regular meetings Oct. 20 and Nov. 17. City spokesperson Gregory Davis said the goal is ground-floor uses that put people on the sidewalk.
The garage was also built with future neighbors in mind. In 2025, the Ocala Gazette reported on an agreement setting aside 225 of its spaces for the 176-room AC Hotel by Marriott, part of the Project Hometown development. The 225 are split into 182 compact stacked spaces on the top floor and 43 standard spaces on the fifth floor. City Planning Director Aubrey Hale told the Gazette that for large city events like Light Up Ocala, the city would work with the developer to open the fifth-floor spaces to the public. The hotel's address is 210 W Silver Springs Blvd. The parking is in place now. The plan is for more downtown visitors and new storefront tenants to follow, and this season's walk runs right through that gap.
Six Weeks of Reasons to Park West
From publish day through the Christmas Parade, these are the dates on downtown's calendar:
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Sunset Songs Series: Kendall Street Company | Citizens' Circle, 7 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Light Up Ocala, 42nd year | Historic Downtown Square, 3 to 8 p.m., lighting at 6 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | First Friday Art Walk | Downtown Square, 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 8th Annual Downtown Ocala Christmas Golf Cart Parade | Starts at City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Sunset Songs Series: Selwyn Birchwood | Citizens' Circle |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Ocala Christmas Parade | Starts at SE 25th Ave. and Fort King St., 5:30 p.m. |
Light Up Ocala is the night the new garage will feel most useful. The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department lists more than 100 craft, art and food vendors, live entertainment, a kids' zone, and the Junior Sunshine Parade with a visit from Santa, all leading up to the lighting at 6 p.m. Admission is free. Community groups perform on the Citizens' Circle stage, which is about 25 feet wide and 15 feet deep. That stage is a short walk from the first garage. Coming from Garage No. 2, you'll cross the square on the way there.
The Golf Cart Parade's proceeds benefit the Fostering Foundation of Florida, and the tourism bureau points to the Ocala Golf Cart Club for updates. The Dec. 12 Christmas Parade has the theme "A Red, White, and Blue Christmas, in honor of America's 250th birthday." Its route runs east of the square. It starts at SE 25th Avenue and Fort King Street, goes north to East Silver Springs Boulevard, then heads west 1.6 miles to NE 8th Avenue, and finishes at NE 3rd Street just before Tuscawilla Park. Parade watchers will be near the boulevard, so the downtown garages are a less natural fit that night than on Light Up night.
Before You Head Downtown on Nov. 21
- Plan to arrive early. The festival starts at 3 p.m., and the restaurants on Broadway and Fort King are good places to eat before the 6 p.m. lighting.
- Check the city's Light Up Ocala page for shuttle stops and event-day parking updates before you leave.
- If you're meeting friends, pick a corner. Garage No. 1 brings people in near Citizens' Circle and City Hall, and Garage No. 2 brings them in from the west side of the square.
Our team at The Table Team loves nights like Light Up, when downtown is full of neighbors. If you've been thinking about what's next for your home, before or after the holidays, we'd be glad to talk it over in person. Schedule a consultation and we'll help you plan your next move.
