These Small Florida Towns Are celebrating Big Birthdays in 2025

For those considering a trip to the Sunshine State, there’s so much going on in this year that you’d need a week of Sundays to even scratch the surface. In fact, Florida’s 2025 events calendar is jam-packed with anniversaries that reveal just how quickly the state grew from a largely uninhabitable backwater into one of the United States’ most visited tourist destinations.

From Atlantic shore resort towns that boomed during the jazz-age land rush to quiet lake-country villages known for their citrus heritage, communities large and small are rolling up their collective sleeves as they prepare party. In fact, events big and small serve as fun warm-ups for the United States’ Semiquincentennial birthday bash in in 2026 when the nation as a whole marks 250 years of independence.

So pack those picnic hampers and hit the road and join in the fun as these small Florida towns celebrate big birthdays in 2025.

St. Augustine

North America’s oldest still-occupied settlement, St. Augustine is celebrating its 460th Founders’ Day on September 6, 2025. The town’s most anticipated anniversary sees costumed interpreters representing Spaniard Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Catholic clergy as they re-enact the 1565 landing at Mission Nombre de Dios. The group, followed by crowds of onlookers, will then proceed to the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park for Mass and musket salutes.

Other highlights of this important birthday bash include a re-enactment of the first Thanksgiving meal to take place in St. Augustine, as well as the chance to explore a mock-up of the original Spanish encampment. Vintage weapons will be displayed, as well as traditional crafts and tools. Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest stone walled fortress in North America, will also play a role with artillery drills and other activities.

Deerfield Beach

Incorporated in June 1925, Deerfield Beach is staging a year-long roster of centennial celebrations. The town’s official calendar features monthly concerts at Pioneer Park and a traveling history exhibit that opened at the Butler House museum. Townsfolk are also invited to a celebration of African American heritage on June 14 (Juneteenth) at the Oveta McKeithen Recreational Complex, complete with live music a kids zone, and food trucks.

The big social soiree, the Deerfield Beach Centennial Gala, takes place June 28 at the Doubletree Hotel. Dubbed “100 Years of Community,” locals can rub shoulders with town officials and business owners over dinner followed by dancing. Just a few days later, Deerfield’s 4th of July Celebration will honor both the town and the nation with a beachside drone display, live music, vendors, and plenty of fun activities for kids.

Windermere

Windermere’s centennial sees a full year of celebrations to mark the town’s big 100th anniversary. Things kicked off in January with the creation of a special “Centennial Lobby” inside the 1922 Town Hall, featuring historical photos and audio recordings by locals that tell the town’s fascinating story. A series of specially commissioned paintings are also on display, along with the info needed to embark on a fun self-guided walking tour of Windermere’s landmarks.

Other notable birthday events include the Run Among the Lakes 5k and 10k runs between Lake Down and Lake Butler on October 11 and a series of pop-up exhibits comparing early 20th-century grove maps with today’s modern urban development.

Chipley

Created in 1825 and named after President George Washington, rural Washington County is celebrating its big 200th anniversary in 2025. Located on the Panhandle near the state border with Alabama, much of the year’s activities will take place in the county town, Chipley, where a special George Washington Collection was unveiled at the Chipley Historical Center on President’s Day. Highlights include a unique bust made from bronze in 1785 at Washington’s Mount Vernon home, handmade quilts, and other rare artifacts relating to the county’s namesake president.

Other fun things to do in Chipley and Washington County this bicentennial year include the quirky Caryville Worm Fiddlin Festival on June 14, where contestants compete to catch the most earthworms using only vibrating wooden sticks (it’s true!); and the Panhandle Watermelon Festival a week later in Downtown Chipley with food and fun activities for the whole family.

Lake Worth Beach

The Atlantic Coast town of Lake Worth Beach is celebrating a different kind of birthday this year: its oldest hotel, the Gulfstream Hotel, is turning 100. Opened in 1925 during Florida’s land boom frenzy, this classic Mediterranean-Revival hotel closed in 2005 and has been the subject of preservation battles ever since.

A city-approved partnership has finally gotten underway and will see 87 guestrooms created from existing floorplans, along with the restoration of its once-elegant Peacock Alley lobby and the roof-top Gulf Haven bar. The goal is to have a grand re-opening in late 2025. While exact details have yet to be announced, local upgrades including adding historic-marker plaque and tree-canopy lighting have already been added to the area around this historic hotel.

The Final Word

2025 promises to be a big year for birthdays in Florida. Some of the Sunshine State’s best small towns are rolling out the red carpet as they commemorate key events in their pasts. From commemorating the arrival of the first Spanish missionaries to marking the founding of citrus-based farming communities in the roaring 1920s, you’ll find something to celebrate here. Whether you pick one centennial weekend or plan a multi-stop road trip, the big birthdays these small Florida towns are celebrating are perfect excuses to visit the Sunshine State in 2025.