Two commissioners advocate for saving another concert
The city is removing the Apopka Proud Concert in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 city budget but might keep the Spring Orchestra Concert after City Council members advocated for keeping it.
By removing the concerts, the parks and recreation department stands to save $30,000 on the Spring Orchestra Concert and $200,000 on the Apopka Proud Concert, according to the numbers presented in the parks and recreation FY26 budget presentation.
The concerts were part of a discussion about the proposed FY26 parks and recreation budget that was made at the July 7 city budget workshop, the first of three straight days of budget meetings at City Hall.
“The spring orchestra, I think, is valuable,” Commissioner Nick Nesta said. “I think it’s one that, although it may be lower attendance than the holiday one or Christmas one, but it still has attendance. I think it still brings people out. There’s no difference than the Saturday night sounds (concert series).”
Vice Mayor/Commissioner Diane Velazquez said a lot of residents do enjoy the Spring Orchestra Concert.
Two musical acts with Apopka roots, John Anderson and the band Sawyer Brown, have headlined the Apopka Proud Concert since its launch in 2019.
The Orlando Philharmonic performed the Spring Concert a few times, with one year performing a superhero theme and the following year a classical concert. However, turnout had not been favorable. Less than 500 people attended the Spring Concert, according to Mayor Bryan Nelson.
The city organizes the holiday concert in December also featuring the Orlando Philharmonic. In 2024, the University of Central Florida School of Performing Arts played in the Philharmonic’s stead.
“The holiday one always has good attendance,” Radley Williams, parks and recreation director/interim city administrator, said. “The spring one kind of struggled with attendance, and it’s a pretty big-ticket item for that. So, we’re looking to reduce that.”
Some of the money saved from the events will be moved to the Saturday Sounds Concert budget in hopes of attracting higher-end bands, Williams said.
Tribute bands have been popular Apopka Amphitheater acts, and the city pays $20,000-$25,000 per tribute band, Williams said.
Commissioners and Williams discussed bringing more music variety to amphitheater concerts, including potentially incorporating the Orlando Philharmonic into the Saturday Sounds lineup.
At the July 7 budget workshop, parks and recreation said the FY26 budget would be $14,272,278, with percentage reductions in all divisions except for Camp Wewa, which will experience a 19.1% increase.
The proposed budget seeks lower budgets in parks maintenance (-11.3%), athletics, recreation and events (-11.2%), cemetery operations (-70% due to no capital needs or positions), and facilities maintenance (-4%).