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The City of Ocoee’s beloved Music Fest is the first casualty of the property tax reform ballot amendment. And it hasn't even been voted on yet.
But faced with the possibility that the city stands to lose $8.1 million in property tax revenue it won’t collect from homesteaded properties if the ballot measure passes in November, Mayor Rusty Johnson somberly announced Tuesday during the city commission meeting that the free two-day concert, scheduled for Nov. 13-14, has been canceled.
City Manager Craig Shadrix later told VoxPopuli that in its 30-year history, Music Fest has only been canceled one other time — for COVID.
“It breaks my heart to do that,” Johnson said. “I think this is the time when we gotta face up to what’s gonna happen with the fire fee and the taxes. I think it’s time we hold back and use that money to help the citizens with the fire fee amount and then that bill.”
Johnson was referring to the fire fee that the commission proposed in May to keep the city’s fire and rescue department funded in anticipation of reduced property tax revenue as well as rising fire department personnel and equipment costs.
Johnson also acknowledged that donations, which have funded the festival to keep the event free for concert-goers, have been harder to come by “since COVID.”
Last year's concert cost $500,000 to produce and brought 10,000 music lovers to Bill Breeze Park on the banks of Starke Lake, according to Doug Gaines, deputy director of parks and leisure services for Ocoee.
Shadrix told VoxPopuli that the city typically budgets “a couple hundred thousand every year” for the concert, then plans to raise “a couple hundred thousand” in donations and sponsorships. Food and beverage sales help offset the rest. “We usually are lucky to break even or go a little in the red. But it’s a free concert," Shadrix said.
Johnson suggested that in place of Music Fest, the city may host smaller music events every few months.
District 4 Commissioner George Oliver III warmed to that idea. “We’re facing so many uncertainties right now when it comes to budgeting, taxes and fees,” he said. “We can pivot to do something for the citizens on a smaller scale and still have our neighbors come out to meet each other and have a good time without breaking the bank.”
District 1 Commissioner Scott Kennedy suggested using the August budget workshops to hash out a way to keep the concert free for Ocoee residents while charging non-residents a fee to attend.
Music Fest celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025. Formerly known as Ocoee Founders Day, the festival rebranded in 2020 to distance the popular concert from the commemoration events around the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre when the town’s entire Black population was murdered or driven from their property by a deputized white mob after a Black man attempted to vote.
“In the efforts to unite everyone and put negative connotations of Ocoee Founders' Day behind us, we have rebranded the festival to: Ocoee Fall Music Festival. On behalf of the festival committee, we apologize if we offended anyone,” Johnson posted on Facebook at the time. Then State Sen. Randolph Bracy and Oliver helped raise awareness about the Ocoee Massacre while Johnson was instrumental in getting the permanent Memorial Wall naming the massacre victims installed in 2024 in Unity Park in Ocoee’s downtown.
Over the years, the festival also expanded its musical focus from a purely country music event, featuring the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Big & Rich and Kellie Pickler, to include rock bands, like The Romantics, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, as well as rap artists like Tone Loc, Tag Team, Freedom Williams and Rob Base.
