A new BJ’s Wholesale Club at 7351 SW 60th Avenue adds groceries, household goods, and pickup options to southwest Ocala.

The retailer also announced regular food donations through Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

Check current membership terms; the October 21 opening-week gas promotion has ended.

Marion County commissioners approved a northwest Ocala mixed-use project with up to 535 homes, a 500-room hotel, and commercial space.

Nearby residents have raised traffic, security, and tree-preservation concerns.

Approval is not an opening announcement; construction timing and later details still matter.

The Thanksgiving Play runs October 29–November 15 at Ocala Civic Theatre, with evening performances and weekend matinees.

The PG-13 satire follows a troupe trying to stage a culturally sensitive holiday pageant.

Parents attending the October 31 matinee can check availability for the free, registration-only Play Date workshop for ages 5–12.

Ocala’s After Dark in the Park brings a free outdoor screening of Young Frankenstein to Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St., on Friday, October 23.

The evening begins at 6 p.m., with crafts, appearances by the Bride and Monster, and a “Puttin’ on the Ritz” costume contest through 7 p.m.

Guests can bring lawn chairs or blankets, and popcorn will be available.

The classic comedy follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein to his grandfather’s Transylvanian castle, where he finds himself drawn into the family’s infamous experiments.

Admission is free, and no registration is required, making it an easy October outing for families and friends.

A proposed trail could give Ocala residents a more comfortable way to walk or bike between downtown and Silver Springs State Park.

The roughly 6.2-mile Downtown Ocala Trail would begin at the existing Osceola Avenue multimodal path and extend east to the park.

Where conditions allow, plans call for a paved path 8 to 12 feet wide and separated from traffic, though some sections would use existing streets and sidewalks.

Wayfinding signs are planned, and officials say pedestrian facilities and access points would meet current accessibility standards.

The project is still in design, making crossings and transitions between path and roadway important questions for future users.

Residents, property owners and businesses can review preliminary plans and share concerns at a public workshop Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Marion County Growth Services Training Room, 2710 E. Silver Springs Boulevard.

Ocala riders could soon have more protection from sun and rain as the Ocala City Council considers a $317,515 contract to install 15 new SunTran bus shelters.

Genesis Construction & Management, the lowest responsible bidder among eight proposals, would prepare the sites, pour accessible concrete pads and assemble the shelters.

The contract includes $28,865 for unforeseen conditions at stops with different layouts.

Ocala bought the prefabricated shelters last October for $227,065, but installation requires a separate agreement.

Locations were chosen based on ridership, available space and geographic distribution, with planned sites including City Hall, Six Gun Plaza, Gaitway Plaza and stops near HCA Florida Maricamp Emergency.

A federal urban transit grant funds the work without a local match.

If the council approves the contract, crews can move toward construction, though an installation schedule has not been announced.

The Starbucks property at 3727 East Silver Springs Boulevard in east Ocala has sold for $2.35 million, putting a new price on a familiar drive-thru stop.

ZZS Properties LC bought the 1.06-acre site from All Dreams Realty LLC.

The property includes a roughly 2,500-square-foot building completed in 2024, a drive-thru canopy and 14 parking spaces.

Starbucks opened there in May 2024, returning to a stretch of the boulevard where it had closed another store in 2009.

The company remains the tenant under a long-term triple-net lease, so the change in ownership does not itself signal a change for customers.

Near a Wawa, an emergency room and other businesses, the site reflects growing commercial interest along the corridor.

For drivers, the coffee stop remains; for its new owner, it is a multimillion-dollar investment.

Downtown Ocala’s Brick City Bluegrass Festival returns to Citizens’ Circle on Saturday, February 6, 2027, for six hours of live music.

The family-friendly outdoor event runs from 1 to 7 p.m. at 151 Osceola Avenue.

Yonder Mountain String Band headlines the fourth annual festival, joined by Appalachian Road Show, Full Cord, Remedy Tree, and Ian Lane and Southern Flavor.

Hosted by the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department, the gathering will also feature food trucks.

Alcohol sales by the Ocala Silver Springs Rotary Club will benefit local charities.

General admission is $50, with a limited number of $30 presale tickets available through November 30 while supplies last.

Veterans’ tickets cost $15, and children ages 12 and younger get in free.

Pine Avenue Antique Mall has opened near downtown Ocala, giving local vendors and shoppers a new place to connect over antiques and vintage finds.

The 8,000-square-foot shop at 510 South Pine Avenue brings together dozens of sellers, including some displaced when Diggers Antique Mall closed.

Former Diggers vendors Ken Kisner and Richard Rice helped create the mall with manager Michael Guest, preserving a community built around shared knowledge and familiar customers.

Inside, shoppers can browse vinyl records, china, furniture and collectibles, with each booth offering something different.

The mall’s soft opening drew local antique enthusiasts, though staff had to work around a few early price-scanner problems.

Listed hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; shoppers should confirm before visiting.

For former Diggers vendors, the new space offers more than sales: a chance to welcome familiar faces again.

Before underwater adventures became familiar television fare, Sea Hunt brought the clear waters of Silver Springs near Ocala to viewers across the country.

Beginning in 1958, Lloyd Bridges starred as Mike Nelson, a former Navy diver whose freelance work led to rescues, salvage jobs and underwater mysteries.

The springs’ remarkable visibility made them a valuable filming location, giving the series’ diving scenes their vivid backdrop.

Bridges narrated underwater sequences, carrying the story when dialogue beneath the surface was impossible.

For many viewers, the show offered an early look at diving equipment, skills and risks.

Sea Hunt ended in 1961 after four seasons, but reruns kept its underwater world in view for years.

Today, glass-bottom boat tours at Silver Springs State Park let visitors see the spring-fed water that helped bring the adventure to life.

For Marion County, it remains a memorable link between a familiar local landmark and television history.

David and Carolyn Woodbury have a newly rebuilt home in West Ocala after a city housing program replaced their deteriorating house.

The couple saw the finished home at 826 NW 6th Avenue during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, September 24.

A 2022 assessment found the original house eligible for assistance, and the city chose demolition and reconstruction rather than repairs.

The Ocala City Council approved a contract with Bentley Pinder Construction capped at $138,320, using federal and state housing funds.

The new home includes accessible entry thresholds and grab bars, along with energy-efficient appliances, windows and a heat pump.

Under the program agreement, the Woodburys must occupy and maintain the property for at least five years.

For the couple, the project offers a fresh start on the property they already called home.

Students at 19 Marion County elementary schools will receive free fruits and vegetables during the 2026–27 school year, giving families one less snack to pack or pay for.

The Marion County School Board unanimously accepted a $606,600 grant for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program on Sept. 22.

The program serves produce during the school day, apart from breakfast and lunch, at campuses selected based on students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

Superintendent Danielle Brewer said one more school is participating this year.

Ocala Springs, College Park and Dr. N.H. Jones elementary schools are among the participating campuses, with the program also reaching Dunnellon, Reddick and Marion Oaks.

Every two weeks, teachers will pair featured produce with nutrition lessons that encourage students to try unfamiliar foods.

Food service staff will seek locally grown produce when available, helping make a fresh snack a regular part of the school day.

Yummy House China Bistro is returning to Ocala on Wednesday, September 30, after more than a year away.

The restaurant will reopen at 2510 SW 27th Avenue, Suites 102 and 103, bringing back most of its original staff and menu.

For longtime customers, that means familiar faces and the dim sum that made Yummy House a place to gather over shared plates.

Pork buns, pork and shrimp shumai, shrimp and chive dumplings, spare ribs and fried shrimp balls are among the returning choices.

The menu also includes sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, Szechuan pork and fried rice.

Yummy House closed its former State Road 200 location in June 2025, and Sushi Feast now occupies that space at 3500 SW College Road.

While Yummy House continued serving diners in Gainesville, Sarasota and Tampa, its Ocala regulars have been waiting for a local return.

A busy truck stop near Interstate 75 in Ocala could become a charging stop for electric semitrucks.

Tesla has proposed six Megacharger charging posts at the Pilot Travel Center on West Highway 326, just off Exit 358.

The plans also include electrical equipment, lighting, a payment kiosk and Wi-Fi, along with changes to parking spaces and drive aisles to accommodate large trucks.

Marion County’s Development Review Committee is scheduled to consider the proposal Monday, September 28, including Tesla’s request to use a building permit site plan instead of a full major site plan revision.

The chargers would serve electric semitrucks, not passenger Teslas or Cybertrucks.

No construction or opening date has been announced, and the proposed station still needs county review before it can move forward.

Tonya Russell, a teacher at Ross Prairie Elementary School, has been named the Ocala Star-Banner/Florida Credit Union Amazing Teacher of the Month for her dedication to students with special needs.