Despite qualifying to bypass a public vote and automatically receive a grant to continue the Levitt AMP Music Series in west Ocala, the city has ended its multi-year run of the free, family-friendly concert series.
According to the Ocala Cultural Arts department, a former employee applied for the last three-year grant for the program in 2022.
Although plans were discussed to move the event to the Mary Sue Rich Center field, ultimately, the city decided to not apply to renew the $120,000 grant to run the program.
As a city that previously hosted the series, Ocala qualified for special considerations: At least 32 cities that previously hosted the music series were able to bypass the public vote en route to receiving their three-year matching grants…