Hometown honor

Bernadette Castro [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

The Friends of the Ocala Christmas Parade have announced that Bernadette Castro has been named grand marshal of the 70th annual Ocala Christmas Parade. She will be representing her parents Bernard and Theresa Castro, the news release noted.

The Castro family, best known for their iconic Castro Convertibles brand, has been a cornerstone of the Ocala community for more than six decades. Founded by Italian immigrant and American patriot Bernard Castro, the family’s vision and philanthropy have helped shape Ocala’s cultural, civic and equestrian life, the Friends release stated.

In the late 1950s, Bernard Castro and his wife, Theresa, fell in love with Ocala’s rolling hills and oak trees and purchased more than 5,000 acres here. Their children, Bernard Jr. and Bernadette, embraced the area, with the son inspiring the family’s early investments in equestrian and agricultural ventures. The family established the Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club (1964), Golden Hills Academy (1964) and the Golden Hills Theatre (1980). They opened their land to the Florida National Guard and were honored as Honorary Green Berets for their support. In 1987, Theresa founded the Ocala Royal Dames for Cancer Research. The family also sponsored community traditions such as the Ocala Christmas Parade Santa Claus float and Light Up Ocala, the release noted.

Bernadette, who earned degrees from the University of Florida, has carried on her parents’ legacy through leadership and philanthropy. She remains active with the Ocala Royal Dames, Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, the Voices of Change Animal League (VOCAL) and other organizations.

The third Castro generation is led by Bernadette’s daughter, Terri Austin Keogh, CEO of Castro Properties, with her brothers Bernard Austin, Jonathan Austin and David Austin. The fourth generation of Castro grandchildren also share this passion, ensuring the family’s legacy of innovation, generosity and community spirit endures, according to the release.

The parade, set for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13, remains the largest nighttime Christmas parade in the state of Florida. With thousands of students from Marion County Public Schools involved, the parade is livestreamed on the school district’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/marioncountyk12, noted a news release from MCPS.

The parade travels along East Silver Springs Boulevard (State Road 40), starting at Southeast 25^th Avenue and heading west to Northeast 8^th Avenue and into the Tuscawilla Park area.

The parade attracts more than 60,000 spectators lining both sides of East Silver Springs Boulevard and is made possible by the cooperation of donors, community organizations and the Ocala Police Department, the MCPS release stated.

The theme for this year’s parade is Christmas Through the Decades. The application window for floats, motorized units, marching units, bands and animal units is open through Oct. 30, according to the Friends website.

For more information, go to ocalachristmasparade.org

Debra Davidson, left, and Lucy Biagiotti, right, portray angels as they march with ARC Marion during the nighttime Ocala Christmas Parade on Dec. 9, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]