Friday marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon killed 2,977 people.
Around the country, Americans will gather to remember the victims of the attacks and reflect on the events of that day. Across Florida, numerous local governments, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, faith groups and other organizations are holding events to mark the occasion.
Here are some of the tributes planned in the Sunshine State.
Boynton Beach: The city will hold its 25th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at 8 a.m. at Centennial Park & Amphitheater, 120 E. Ocean Ave. The ceremony will honor those killed at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and aboard Flight 93.
Clearwater: Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds will join Sen. Nick DiCeglie, Republican congressional nominee Sydney Gruters and retired U.S. Secret Service agent Greg Mertz for a 9/11 commemoration lunch Friday. The free event will be held at Orange County Choppers Road House & Museum, 10575 49th St. N., with doors opening at 11 a.m. and a presentation beginning at noon. An RSVP is required.
Clermont: The city will hold a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Clermont Arts & Recreation Center, 3700 S. Hwy. 27. The city says the 25th-anniversary program will honor those killed and first responders while preserving firsthand stories of the attacks.
Coral Springs: The city will hold its September 11th Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at the 9/11 Memorial outside Northwest Regional Library, 3151 N. University Drive. Residents can also visit the memorial throughout the day.
Davie: The town and Western High School will hold their annual 9/11 Memorial Service at 9:30 a.m. at the school’s Twin Tower replicas near SW 14th Street and SW 136th Avenue. Mayor Judy Paul is scheduled to speak, and the ceremony will include posting of the guard, a wreath placement and flag-folding presentation.
Fort Walton Beach: The Fire Department is seeking 343 members of the public to each ring a fire bell in memory of the 343 New York City firefighters killed on 9/11. The observance begins at 7:46 a.m. Central — corresponding to 8:46 a.m. Eastern, when the North Tower was struck — at Fire Station 6, 5 Hollywood Blvd. NE, and continues into the afternoon. A vintage 1946 Chevrolet fire truck and a large American flag will also be displayed.
Haines City: The city will hold a Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at Railroad Park in downtown Haines City. The ceremony will commemorate the victims, survivors and first responders on the attacks’ 25th anniversary.
Hillsborough County/Tampa: Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Veteran Community Services and the Veterans Council of Hillsborough County will hold Patriot Day 9/11: Remembering the Fallen 25 Years Later at 10:30 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 3602 N. U.S. Hwy. 301. JROTC members and fire-rescue cadets will lead a ceremony featuring a color guard, rifle salute, taps, fire-service bell ringing and the escort of a 135-pound piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center. Military and law enforcement demonstrations follow.
Inverness: The city will hold a 9/11 Ceremony & Exhibit beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Depot Pavilion in Liberty Park, 300 N. Apopka Ave. The free event commemorates the attacks’ 25th anniversary.
Jacksonville: Firefighters and law enforcement officers from across the city will gather for the second annual Jacksonville Firefighter 9/11 Stair Climb at 11 a.m. at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp ballpark.
Lake City: Florida Gateway College and the Columbia County Commission will hold a 25th Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony at 9 a.m. at the college’s Levy Performing Arts Center. Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will deliver the keynote address. Speakers also include state Rep. Chuck Brannan and Ralph Rowand, who was an air traffic controller on Sept. 11, 2001. Honor guards from five law enforcement and public-safety agencies will participate.
Lake Worth Beach: The city will hold its 25th Anniversary 9/11 Ceremony beginning at 8:40 a.m. at Cultural Plaza, 414 Lake Ave. City officials will be joined by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, and a fire bell will be rung 30 times.
Madeira Beach: The city will hold a 9/11 Day of Remembrance Ceremony at 8:45 a.m. at Patriot Park. The ceremony will include remarks from city leaders, a commemorative wreath, the tolling of bells and a display of 2,977 American flags — one for each person killed in the attacks.
Naples: St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church will hold its annual 9/11 Mass of Remembrance at 8 a.m. at 5130 Rattlesnake Hammock Road. The parish has held the Mass annually since 2002 for the 9/11 Families Association, including former New York City firefighters and law enforcement officers, flight attendants and families of people killed at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The church also has a cross-shaped piece of steel cut from a World Trade Center support column, which will be displayed for the Mass.
Nassau County: The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office will hold a 25th Anniversary September 11 Remembrance Ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Sheriff’s Office, 77151 Citizens Circle. The event is open to the public.
Orlando: The Orlando Fire Department will hold its annual 9/11 Remembrance and Candlelight Ceremony at 7 p.m. at Fire Station 1, 78 W. Central Blvd. Firefighters will light 404 candles — 343 red candles for firefighters, 60 blue candles for law enforcement officers and one white candle for FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge. Twenty-five fire helmets will also be laid out, one for each year since the attacks.
Palm Coast — morning: The 9/11 Memorial Tribute Climb at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa, 200 Ocean Crest Drive, will include a public memorial ceremony beginning at 8:15 a.m. Local students, the fire chief and a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy are among those scheduled to participate. The climb itself is free, and participation in the climb isn’t required to attend the ceremony.
Palm Coast — evening: The Palm Coast Fire Department will hold its annual September 11 Candlelight Memorial Service at 6:30 p.m. at Heroes Memorial Park, 2860 Palm Coast Parkway NW. Candles will be provided to attendees. If weather forces the event indoors, it will move across the street to Fire Station 21.
Palm Harbor: Genelle Guzman-McMillan, the last survivor rescued from the World Trade Center site, will serve as keynote speaker at a 9/11 memorial service at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, 1750 Curlew Rd., beginning at 10 a.m. Friday. The ceremony will also feature helicopter flyovers, honor guards, student 9/11 displays and a memorial wreath placement. FOX 13 anchor Mark Wilson will serve as master of ceremonies. The memorial will also be illuminated from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Panama City: Panama City, Bay County, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Tyndall Air Force Base will hold a 25th Anniversary 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at 8:30 a.m. at Panama City Marina, 1 Harrison Ave. Col. Ryan Thulin, commander of the 325th Fighter Wing, will speak, and the ceremony will include presentation of the colors, a moment of silence, bell tolling and a 21-gun salute.
Parkland: The city will hold a Patriot Day commemoration at 5 p.m. at P-REC, 10559 Trails End. The ceremony will include guest speakers, youth performances and musical tributes.
Pompano Beach: The city will hold an evening of remembrance at 6 p.m. at the Charlotte Burrie Community Center, 2669 N. Federal Highway. The program will feature patriotic music, jazz and live art.
Port St. Lucie: The city will hold its annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Memorial Fountain at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center, 9221 S.E. Event Center Place. The free ceremony will mark the 25th anniversary with a morning of remembrance and reflection.
Sanford/Seminole County: Sanford, Seminole County, Sanford police and fire, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Seminole County Fire Department will hold a 25th Anniversary Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony at 10:15 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, 110 W. Seminole Blvd. A moment of silence is scheduled for 10:28 a.m., the time the North Tower collapsed. The ceremony will also remember Mannie Leroy Clark, a Sanford native who was working as a security supervisor on the North Tower’s 93rd floor and died in the attack.
Sarasota — morning: Nathan Benderson Park will host its inaugural 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb & Day of Remembrance from 8 a.m. to noon. Participants can walk, run or climb the Finish Tower stairs, with those completing the full challenge climbing the equivalent of 110 stories. The event is presented by Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and is open to community members, first responders, military members and families.
Sarasota — evening: The Sarasota Ministerial Association, Diocese of Venice and Sarasota County Emergency Services will hold Standing for Our Fallen: 9/11 Twenty-Five Year Commemoration from 5 to 6:15 p.m. at Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road 72. Bishop Emeritus Frank Dewane will give the invocation. The program also includes personal testimony, first-responder rites, music, a wreath placement and a tolling of the bell during which participants can represent individual 9/11 victims by name.
St. Augustine: The city will hold its 25th Anniversary Ceremony of Remembrance at 8:30 a.m. at the Plaza de la Constitución, 170 St. George St. Retired FDNY Capt. Chris Garaizar will deliver personal remarks. At 8:45 a.m., the city will hold a moment of silence, followed by the Fire Department’s traditional “Striking the Four 5’s” and a performance of “Amazing Grace” by bagpipes and drums. The ceremony will also be livestreamed.
St. Petersburg: The Tampa Bay Rowdies will hold their sixth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Al Lang Stadium. First responders, active-duty military members and veterans will climb 2,200 stairs in remembrance of those killed and the emergency workers who responded to the attacks.
Tallahassee: The Capital City 9/11 Memorial will host a commemoration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Friday at 1115 Easterwood Drive. The ceremony will include a flyover and a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., marking the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center. The memorial, dedicated in 2023, incorporates an 11-foot steel beam from the South Tower. A Capitol Stair Climb will follow at 10 a.m. at the Florida Capitol, where participants will make five trips up and down the building’s 22 flights of stairs. Mission BBQ, 216 S. Magnolia Drive, will hold a remembrance ceremony at noon. The Tallahassee National Cemetery will also hold a day of service Saturday.
Tampa: A Patriot Day 9/11 ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park will begin at 10:30 a.m. and include a color guard, rifle salute, taps, the escort of a steel beam salvaged from the Twin Towers and a traditional fire service bell ceremony.
Treasure Island: A 9/11 Memorial Walk will begin at 8:46 a.m. at Freedom Boat Club. Participants will walk 3.43 miles in remembrance of the 343 firefighters killed on Sept. 11.
Wellington: Wellington, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies will hold a 25th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony beginning at exactly 8:46 a.m. at Wellington Amphitheater, 12100 Forest Hill Blvd. Lt. Col. Todd Beer, an Air Force One pilot who transported President George W. Bush on Sept. 11, 2001, will give the keynote address.
