It was a night to celebrate for Ocala/Marion County businesses.
Leaders gathered Oct. 14 at the Circle Square Cultural Center at On Top of the World for the 2026 Ocala Community's Choice Awards gala,hosted by the Ocala Star-Banner/ocala.com and LocaliQ. There was food, music, dancing and, of course, honors for the finalists and winners in more than 120 categories.
In this program, the community nominated and voted on local businesses. Oct. 14 was the night to celebrate all the hard work these businesses do every day.
In a video played during the ceremony, Mike Reed, the chairman and CEO of USA TODAY Co., said small businesses are "the heartbeat of our community."
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Miss Florida Alexandra de Roos announced the finalists and winners in dozens of categories. Winners cheered, accepted their awards, and posed for pictures.
A full list of winners and finalists can be found at ocala.gannettcontests.com/2026-Ocala-Communitys-Choice-Awards-Winners
jross@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala and Marion County businesses honored at 2026 Community's Choice Awards
