OVIEDO, Fla. – The City of Oviedo is gearing up to throw a once-in-a-century party next month, and the whole community is invited to celebrate.
“In January, we rolled out banners throughout the city so that we can either remind people or let you know,” said Terry Martini, the city’s special events administrator.
The big day is set for Saturday, April 26, when Center Lake Park will be transformed into what officials are calling “A Walk Through Time in Oviedo.”
The all-day festival will feature a little something for everyone – food trucks, cocktails inspired by every decade, and live entertainment spanning 100 years of music.
“We are going to have 100 years of entertainment,” Martini said. “The amphitheater stage is going to have live entertainment all day, starting with a group singing songs from the 1920s all the way until 9:00, where we finish off with a more modern form of entertainment that will lead into our laser and fireworks show.”
But the real showstopper might be the vintage car display. Martini worked hard to secure two cars from every decade — starting with a 1925 vehicle and running through to 2025.
One of the highlights? A 1967 Chevy Camaro SS with a Hollywood connection.
Don Musica is the proud second owner of a first-generation Camaro, and he admits he bought it because of the movie Better Off Dead.
“Don’t tell me you bought this because of that John Cusack movie,” I asked Musica.
“That’s it!” he replied with a smile.
For Musica, the cars aren’t just about style, they represent a way of life and harken back to how he grew up as a teenager.
“Every Friday and Saturday night with no internet, no cell phones — that’s how you socialized,” he said. “You cruised your car. That’s how you met girls. That’s how you went to parties.”
While the times have changed, Musica says today’s car culture is still alive, it just comes wrapped in a modern package.
“They have car meets and cars and coffees. It’s a little different, but yeah, I wish they would do it more,” he said. “We do allow newer cars, and there will be some newer cars at the event here for the 100-year anniversary.”
And by the way, this is the second time Oviedo has had a centennial birthday – the first was 46 years ago.
“Oviedo was founded in 1879, so there was a celebration in 1979.” Martini told News 6. She discovered “the first centennial” as she was doing research for this event.
“There’s a song I found when I was digging up archives that was from 1979,” Martini said. “They were celebrating their centennial.”
But Martini added, that was Oviedo, not the City of Oviedo.
“In 1925, we became incorporated as a city,” she explained. “We’re turning 100 this year.”
