Closing out 2019 with a Full Month of Events

By George “Bud” Scholl, Mayor

(Friday, November 29, 2019) – We have an exciting month ahead of us as we say goodbye to 2019  and prepare for the start of a new decade. The next few weeks are full of events designed to bring out multiethnic community together.

As we know, the cultural composition of our city is as diverse as it gets; our residents and visitors travel here from across the globe. We have residents who have lived here for 25+ years and we also welcome new citizens beginning their career or starting a family. We do not shy away from differing beliefs; we value and respect all members of our community and encourage you to get involved and share your ideas. Because the cultural representation of our city is ever-evolving, much thought and care go into planning our yearly calendar to include events and programs that will appeal to our diverse population.

Throughout the last several years, city staff has been following the recommendations of the Cultural Master Plan, set forth based on community research and analysis. You may have seen some new additions to our event calendar such as Hispanic and Russian Heritage Celebrations and the Gateway LIVE! quarterly performance series. We are briding artistic barriers each season with exceptional new cultural performances and events.

In addition to the annual holiday-themed events such as Winter Fest, Holiday Ball, Holiday Concert, and teen event, this month we are hosting one of our Sister Cities from across the world, Hengchun, Taiwan. We always welcome visits from our sister cities as they strengthen the ties of our relationship while exchanging cultural traditions. From December 8 – 12, the mayor and delegation from Hengchun will be visiting Sunny  Isles Beach. Their visit culminates in An Evening with Hengchun on Wednesday, December 11 as we invite our residents to join us for a spectacular cultural exchange event. You can read more details about this event at sibfl.net/events.

No matter where you are from or how long you have been in our city, we have an event for you this month. I wish you all a very happy holiday season.