Miami Lakes committees finalize Dec. 6 25th anniversary plans, urge stronger promotion

Felicia, a committee member, said the town's 25th anniversary celebration is scheduled for Dec. 6 from 4 to 8 p.m. and that organizers are finalizing logistics including food trucks, booths and limited transportation for dignitaries. "We are still set for December 6 from 4 to 8, the park," Felicia said.

The committee reported early fundraising and in-kind commitments. Committee members listed cumulative donations and booth credits that they said amount to around $3,500 and additional grants and booth contributions that bring the total to roughly $5,000 (amounts described in meeting remarks as "not specified" in detail). Alicia and other members said they will continue outreach to local businesses for sponsors.

Members expressed concern that town event promotion and volunteer recruitment have been inconsistent. Miriam Ochoa, vice chair of the Sports Hall of Fame committee, said her Dec. 13 induction event went live on Eventbrite but was not consistently posted to the town's social channels. "Do I look at it? Yes. One of the questions I had as a committee yesterday was, does the town of Miami Lakes have a person dedicated to social media?" Miriam said. Staff liaisons said they can post committee materials if provided through the designated staff contact and that committee members may draft material for staff to review and publish.

Committee members asked staff to centralize and clarify how event requests and volunteer sign-ups are displayed on the town website, and to route promotional requests through the designated staff liaison to ensure consistent placement on Instagram stories and other channels. Several members urged weekly or regular promotion from the date of publication through an event to boost attendance.

Cultural Affairs and Economic Development committee members described related programming that will feed into the anniversary timeline, including Main Street Live and other seasonal events; staff said sponsorships for the first Main Street Live dates are nearly secured and that the EDC will focus its marketing funds on attracting outside visitors. Economic Development reported it will coordinate with Felicia's Main Street efforts and that committees historically collaborating on events should assign one lead for contract and restaurant outreach where needed.

Committees requested a short volunteer and sponsorship brief from event leads so staff can post clearly labeled opportunities on the volunteer registry and the town calendar. Felicia said she will send details on sponsors and volunteer needs in advance of the next meeting.

The anniversary committee also proposed a short commemorative video of the town's 25 years; staff and the town manager were listed as potential collaborators to produce and host the material. The committee said details on parking, food-truck limits and dignitary transport will be finalized at an upcoming meeting.