What's Happening in Ocala, Florida Today?

DJ Matt Gray hosts the Ocala Christmas Festival on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ocala Downtown Market, 403 SE Osceola Ave. in downtown Ocala. The festival offers free digital pictures with Santa, holiday gift vendors, food trucks and live entertainment. Admission and parking are free. Vendor spots, food truck spaces and sponsorships are available through Matt Gray at 352-875-4224.

The inaugural Wings Over Ocala Florida Air Show takes place Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2, 2027, at Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Avenue in Ocala, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Friday is an afternoon, twilight and night show: gates open at 1 p.m., the Blue Angels fly their rehearsal demonstration in the afternoon, and the evening closes with a 300-drone show and a fireworks finale. On Saturday and Sunday, gates open at 9 a.m. and more than a dozen military and civilian acts, including a four-ship F-15 Eagle demo, P-51 Mustangs, an F4U Corsair and the Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car, fly before the Blue Angels close each show. General admission is $45 for adults and $30 for ages 6-17, military and first responders, with children 5 and under free. Tickets and parking are sold online in advance only, with no gate sales. The show is produced by JLC AirShow Management with the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau as title sponsor.

The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala, opens its galleries free of charge for Free First Saturday on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can explore the permanent collection and special exhibitions, and the Artspace offers family-friendly artmaking all day. The museum auditorium screens the 2006 documentary "Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?" (PG-13, 1 hour 14 minutes) at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the story of a former truck driver who spent years trying to prove that a painting bought at a thrift shop for $5 is a genuine Jackson Pollock. Film seating is limited to 250 on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservation needed, and auditorium doors open 30 minutes before each screening. Free First Saturdays are supported in part by CAMPUS USA Credit Union.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents Disney's Aladdin in Concert at the [Reilly Arts Center](/reilly-arts-center-ocala), 500 NE 9th Street in Ocala, on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. The orchestra performs the score live while Disney's 1992 animated film plays on the big screen on the AdventHealth Mainstage. The Sunday performance is a matinee. Tickets range from $35 to $85 through the Reilly Arts Center box office.

US Road Running hosts the Gobbler 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Baseline Road Trailhead, 4255 SE 58th Ave in southeast Ocala. The Thanksgiving-season race offers four distances, from a 5K up to a full 26.2-mile marathon, and every finisher receives a medal. Organizers describe the event as a small, relaxed local race that is easy for runners of all levels to join. Start times and registration fees are listed on the race page.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents the 23rd Annual Symphony Under the Lights on Friday, December 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Tuscawilla Park, 800 NE Sanchez Ave in Ocala. Joined by members of the Ocala Youth Symphony, the orchestra performs a free outdoor holiday concert beneath the park's oak trees, presented with the [Reilly Arts Center](/reilly-arts-center-ocala). Admission is free, and the concert is one of the Ocala and Marion County community's long-running December traditions.