How many days does a one-day party take up? For Celebration's 30th, the answer runs from 10 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, to late morning Monday, November 9.
The town's 30th-anniversary Founders Day schedules all of its events for Saturday, November 7. The parade, the ceremony, the town photo, the concert and the drone show all happen in that one day. Getting Town Center ready for that day takes the rest of the week, and the official closures and traffic plan shows where. If you live within walking distance of Market Street, the setup affects you more than the show does.
The Closures Start Before the Party
The first closure has already happened by the time this post goes live. Since 10 p.m. Wednesday, the walking trail that starts at the Celebration Hotel and loops around Lake Rianhard, through Lakeside Park and on toward Mirasol has been closed all day. It stays closed through Saturday. Anyone who walks the lake loop before work will need a different route for the rest of the week.
After that, the closures move toward the streets.
| When | What changes | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10 p.m. | Walking trail closes through Saturday | Celebration Hotel around Lake Rianhard, through Lakeside Park to Mirasol |
| Thursday, Nov. 5, 10 p.m. | Vehicle access restricted | Town Center area |
| Friday, Nov. 6, morning | Road closure signs go up as staff begin setup | Market Street at Celebration Avenue; Front Street at Sycamore Street; Bloom Street near the Celebration Hotel; Front and Bloom intersection |
| Saturday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m. | Eastbound Campus Street access from Celebration Avenue limited to Town Center residents and hotel guests | Campus Street and Celebration Avenue |
| Monday, Nov. 9, late morning | Road closures lifted | All Friday closure points |
The traffic plan labels the November 6 section "Thursday," but the text under that heading says setup starts Friday morning. Friday matches the calendar.
The road closures cover all of Sunday, November 8. That matters because the Celebration Farmers Market sets up at 603 Market St. every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the Town Center listing before that Sunday, and plan to walk in if you can.
Friday Afternoon at the Original Town Hall
The day before the big program, there is a smaller event that suits a 30th birthday. The Celebration Foundation, which the Walt Disney Company formed in 1996 to encourage civic involvement in the town, ends its 30th Anniversary Speaker Series on Friday, November 6, at 4 p.m. The last session is about the Foundation itself.
The series has run monthly since April, with sessions on the Pattern Book and town planning, founders' stories, traditions, community organizations, health and technology. Several of the Saturday sessions ended with walking tours, and the April and June sessions filled up and went to waitlists. Every session has been free and held at 690 Celebration Avenue, the original Town Hall. Registration is required, either through the Foundation's website or by calling 407-566-1234.
The anniversary year started on front porches. On March 8, the Foundation's 30th Anniversary Porch Parties aimed for 30 host porches, with the Foundation providing hosting materials and each host bringing cookies, according to a Positively Osceola event listing. Founders Day is the biggest event of the year, and also the last.
Saturday Has Two Halves
The program splits into a morning section, a break of several hours, and an evening section. If you plan around the break, you can get home between the two.
The morning belongs to veterans and the town photo.
- 10:30 a.m. The Veterans Day Parade leaves Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St., turns left onto Front Street and left onto Celebration Avenue, and ends at Founders Park.
- 11:00 a.m. Veterans Day Ceremony at Founders Park.
- 11:45 a.m. The 30th Anniversary Town Photo.
The town photo is the one moment of the anniversary meant to include everyone in a single picture. It starts 75 minutes after the parade steps off, so you have time to watch the parade along Front Street and then walk to Founders Park.
The evening runs from 5 to 10 p.m. and is free.
The town describes the evening as free and open to the public, with Kid Zone inflatables and food and beverage tents. The lineup:
- 5:00 p.m. DJ Bubbles
- 7:00 p.m. The Pop2000 concert with Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera and LFO, with free standing room
- 9:00 p.m. DJ Bubbles returns
- 9:20 p.m. A drone show presented by AdventHealth and produced by Dronisos
- 9:30 p.m. Ryan Cabrera takes over as guest DJ
Experience Kissimmee calls the custom drone show the first of its kind for Celebration. If you've only seen fireworks over Lake Rianhard, 9:20 p.m. is the time to look up.
The free standing room has a ticketed alternative. Premium table and single-seat holders must show a photo ID that matches the name on their registration at check-in, and the town says availability is limited. The town also notes that the schedule is still being updated and may change, so check the official page Saturday morning. Questions go to the Parks and Recreation Department at [email protected] or 407-566-1200.
Getting In, and Getting Home
Parking works differently this year. There is no Park and Ride. Celebration K-8 and Community Presbyterian will charge to park in their lots. The traffic plan encourages residents to walk to the downtown event if they can, or to carpool if they need to drive.
Campus Street between Greenbrier and Mulberry is limited to local traffic. Starting at 5 p.m., a deputy at Campus and Celebration Avenue will let only Town Center residents and hotel guests turn east onto Campus, and residents will be asked for a driver's license showing where they live. If you live in Town Center, keep your license with you, even for a short drive.
The exit plan sends each village a different way:
- Main Village: Celebration Avenue toward SR 417, or Golfpark Drive to Campus Street.
- East, West and South Village: Waterside Drive to Celebration Boulevard for I-4, 192 and other roads.
- North Village: Turn right onto Celebration Avenue, away from Town Center.
Osceola County Sheriff's Office deputies will direct traffic after the event at Waterside Drive and Celebration Boulevard; Waterside Drive and Celebration Avenue; Campus Street and Celebration Boulevard near the library; Campus Street and Celebration Avenue; Golfpark Drive and Celebration Avenue; Celebration Avenue and SR 417; Sycamore Street and Celebration Avenue; Celebration Avenue and Celebration Place at the Water Tower Shoppes entrance; and East Lawn and Celebration Avenue. Expect directed traffic at these intersections after the drone show and DJ set end.
The Same Blocks Get Busy Again in a Week
When the barricades come down Monday morning, the rest of November stays busy on the same streets.
On Saturday, November 14, the Embrace of Celebration Music Festival brings 15 bands and singer-songwriters to Lakeside Park from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is free, there will be food and drinks, and donations go to Embrace of Celebration. That's the same park where the Founders Day parade starts. On the same day, Town Center hosts an Alfa Romeo car show at 701 Front St. Its listing gives two different sets of hours, so check it before you go.
Two weeks later, Town Center hosts its biggest yearly event. The Tree Lighting Ceremony runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, at 701 Front St. The program starts at 5:30 p.m., the countdown is at 5:55 p.m., and the first snowfall is at 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free. That night also opens the 28th annual Now Snowing, which runs through December 31 with ice skating, Santa photos, rides, train rides and a Snow Village. After opening night, Market Street gets snowfall every night at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
From Founders Day to New Year's Eve, Town Center hosts large crowds for most of eight weeks. Founders Day is the only one of these events with a published plan that closes trails, limits vehicle access and closes roads from Wednesday night to Monday morning. The music festival fills Lakeside Park for a single day, and Now Snowing brings crowds to Market Street every night through December 31.
After 30 years, Celebration's homes have their own history of value, and you can find out what yours is worth now. Whether you're staying put through the anniversary year or thinking about your next move, Team G.R.E.A.T. can prepare a home valuation for your Celebration address based on current local data. Ask for your home valuation and see what three decades of Celebration add up to for your home.
