Dyer, alongside city officials and community representatives, unveiled a commemorative banner and highlighted the festivities to come.
For Orlando’s Sesquicentennial, a grand celebration will be hosted on the city’s birthday, July 31, with free admission to some of the city’s popular attractions, like the Mennello Museum and Leu Gardens.
As part of the festivities, the Orlando Collected exhibit is set to open April 12 at the Orange County Regional History Center. The exhibit will highlight the city’s history through various perspectives by showcasing 150 unique items donated by individuals and organizations.
This summer, the city plans to unveil Changing Face of Orlando: A Sesquicentennial Celebration, a public art exhibition featuring comparative photographs of Orlando’s past and present. Attendees will be able to see the striking contrasts of historical photographs of the city compared to the scenes today.
More events leading up to the big day have yet to be revealed.
The city has launched a webpage for residents to keep up with new events, promotions and ways to get involved in Orlando’s 150th anniversary.
Orlando began as a frontier town in 1875 with just 85 residents, 22 of whom were qualified voters, but the city’s history dates as far back as 1838 during the height of the Seminole Wars. It’s now home to over 300,000 residents in its 115 city neighborhoods.
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This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2025.