Florida

Florida’s New Year’s Eve drops: From oranges to drag queens, how cities ring in the New Year with unique flair

Published

10 months ago

December 31, 2024

Florida’s New Year’s Eve drops: From oranges to drag queens, how cities ring in the New Year with unique flair

New Year’s Eve celebrations are renowned for their unique and vibrant drops. In Florida, each drop reflects the local culture and spirit of its city. Here’s a glimpse into some of these festive traditions:

Orange Ball Drop in Orlando (Thornton Park)
Orlando rings in the New Year with the iconic Orange Ball Drop, symbolizing Florida’s citrus heritage. A massive, illuminated orange descends as the countdown to midnight begins, accompanied by dancing and food vendors.

Booty Drop in Tampa
Embracing its pirate history, Tampa hosts the Booty Drop during the New Yaargh’s Eve celebration. A treasure chest, representing pirate booty, is lowered at midnight, featuring live entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Pineapple Drop in Sarasota
Sarasota’s Pineapple Drop Carnival is a family-friendly event featuring a large, illuminated pineapple. The festivities include a carnival with rides, games, and live music, creating a vibrant atmosphere for all ages.

Strawberry Drop in Plant City
Known as the winter strawberry capital of the world, Plant City celebrates with the Strawberry Drop. A giant glowing strawberry is lowered as attendees enjoy live music, local food vendors, and a kids’ zone.

Beach Ball Drop in Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach offers a family-friendly Beach Ball Drop, where thousands of inflatable beach balls are released for an early celebration, followed by the descent of a giant illuminated beach ball at midnight. The event includes live music, fireworks, and entertainment for all ages.

Shrimp Drop in Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach honors its fishing heritage with the Shrimp Drop. A large, illuminated shrimp is lowered to mark the New Year, accompanied by a street festival featuring food trucks, a live DJ, and fireworks.

Red Shoe Drop in Key West
Key West’s famous Red Shoe Drop features a local drag queen descending in a giant red high-heeled shoe. This event is a highlight of the island’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, attracting visitors worldwide. This year, Randy Roberts from LaTeDa will be the one in the shoe, according to the venue.

Keg Drop in Orlando (Ivanhoe)
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company’s Keg Drop is a popular event among the Ivanhoe Park crowd, where a decorated keg is lowered at midnight. The celebration includes music, a food truck, and fireworks.

Each of these events showcases the diverse culture and community spirit across Florida, offering residents and visitors memorable ways to usher in the New Year.

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Florida

Lee Named to Jerry West Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Published

14 hours ago

October 28, 2025

Press Room

Lee Named to Jerry West Award Watch List – Florida Gators

Florida men’s basketball senior Xaivian Lee has been named to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Top 20 Preseason List, the Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday. The West Award is part of the Naismith Starting 5 positional awards.

A two-time first-team All-Ivy League performer at Princeton, Lee transferred to UF this offseason after averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season. A Toronto native, Lee has tallied 1,154 points, 406 rebounds, 302 assists and 124 3-point field goals in three career seasons entering 2025-26.

Lee joins backcourt mate Boogie Fland as a preseason Naismith Starting 5 honoree, with Fland named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list on Monday. The West Award has been presented since 2015, and the Gators’ Alijah Martin was on last season’s midseason watch list.

Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List

Brayden Burries	Arizona
Richie Saunders	BYU
Josh Dix	Creighton
Isaiah Evans	Duke
*Xaivian Lee*	*Florida*
Emmanuel Sharp	Houston
Kylan Boswell	Illinois
PJ Haggerty	Kansas State
Otega Oweh	Kentucky
Ryan Conwell	Louisville
Seth Trimble	North Carolina
Anthony Roy	Oklahoma State
Jason Edwards	Providence
Ian Jackson	St. John’s
Solo Ball	UConn
Rodney Rice	USC
Mason Falslev	Utah State
Malik Thomas	Virginia
Wesley Yates III	Washington
John Blackwell	Wisconsin

2025-26 Florida Men’s Basketball Ticket Information
Traditional season tickets are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Arena Pass
Arena Passes are officially SOLD OUT for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Single Games
Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Florida men’s basketball season are now on sale.

Fans can purchase tickets at FloridaGators.com, by calling the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, or in person at Gate 2 on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

All Gators Weekend Pack
The All Gators Weekend Pack is now available, which includes the Florida men’s basketball game against Merrimack on Friday, November 21, and the Florida football game against Tennessee on Saturday, November 22, for only $149 plus taxes/fees.

All fans attending the Merrimack men’s basketball game will receive a 2025 NCAA National Championship replica ring, presented by Meldon Law.

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Fall Ball: Jacksonville Scrimmage Culminates Week Four – Florida Gators

Published

1 day ago

October 27, 2025

Press Room

Fall Ball: Jacksonville Scrimmage Culminates Week Four – Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Week four of the fall baseball season will see the Florida Gators tune up with a pair of intrasquad scrimmages leading up to an exhibition game against the JU Dolphins in Jacksonville, Fla. on Friday, Oct. 31.

First pitch for the Halloween matchup between Florida and Jacksonville is set for 6:30 p.m. at Vystar Ballpark with gates open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale now.

The Gators are the designated away team this year and will occupy the third-base dugout. The two teams will play one 10-inning contest.

This is the second-straight fall in which the Gators and Dolphins have faced off in Jacksonville, once again coinciding with the excitement of the Florida-Georgia football weekend. Florida claimed the inaugural fall meeting against JU in 2024 after posting a 3-1 record across four fall exhibitions vs. Georgia in Jacksonville (2019, 2021-23). As a result, the Orange & Blue is 4-1 across five fall exhibitions played in Jacksonville dating back to the first year of the tradition in 2019.

Following an off day on Monday, Oct. 27, Florida will hold three open practices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday prior to Friday’s exhibition. There will be open scrimmages on Tuesday (3:45 p.m.) and Wednesday (3:30 p.m.).

All fall practices and scrimmages are open to the public. Fans can access the concourse through Gate 3 of Condron Family Ballpark (located directly behind home plate).

Below is the current practice schedule for week four. All practice and approximate scrimmage times are subject to change.

Date	Practice	Scrimmage
Monday, Oct. 27	OFF	OFF
Tuesday, Oct. 28	2:00 PM	3:45 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 29	2:00 PM	3:30 PM
Thursday, Oct. 30	2:00 PM	NONE
Friday, Oct. 31	vs. JU	6:30 PM
Saturday, Nov. 1	OFF	OFF
Sunday, Nov. 2	OFF	OFF

*Scrimmages typically begin approximately 90 minutes to two hours into each practice

Additionally, Florida’s fall season features a second exhibition game against Georgia Southern at Condron Family Ballpark on Sunday, Nov. 9. Admission is free for all fans.

Important Fall Dates

Friday, Oct. 31	6:30 PM	Florida vs. JU (in Jacksonville)
Sunday, Nov. 9	2:00 PM	Florida vs. Georgia Southern (Condron Family Ballpark)

Stay informed on all the most-recent news on Florida baseball by checking FloridaGators.com and following @GatorsBB on social media.

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Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Cash4Life results for Oct. 25, 2025

Published

3 days ago

October 26, 2025

Press Room

Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Cash4Life results for Oct. 25, 2025

The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots. Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025

Winning Powerball numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

02-12-22-39-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

03-24-46-58-61, Powerball: 07

Winning Florida Lotto numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

05-09-22-30-32-50

Check Florida Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto Double Play numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

11-18-21-46-50-53

Check Lotto Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

05-06-12-19-60, Cash Ball: 03

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 06-08-15-19-21

Evening: 18-27-28-30-35

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Morning: 12

Matinee: 09

Afternoon: 11

Evening: 12

Late Night: 07

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 1-8, FB: 5

Evening: 6-0, FB: 8

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 3-7-5, FB: 5

Evening: 0-7-5, FB: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 6-5-1-1, FB: 5

Evening: 3-8-4-6, FB: 8

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Oct. 25 drawing

Midday: 6-4-1-3-5, FB: 5

Evening: 6-5-0-1-8, FB: 8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.

You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.

Florida law requires public disclosure of winners

If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:

Full name
City of residence
Game won
Date won
Amount won
Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.

When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.

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