Ashley Brace

Ashley is a student at the College of Central Florida and Editor-In-Chief of The Patriot Press, with experience in journalism, media and student leadership.

Food ingredients and cooking utensils resting on a wooden surface.
Holiday Guide
2 months ago
Festive Flavors: Easy Holiday Recipes to Elevate the Table

Enjoy these quick and easy recipes to add spice to your holiday menu.

Santa's midsection shown against a light blue backdrop. He is holding lit Christmas lights in his hands.
Holiday Guide
2 months ago
7 Dazzling Christmas Light Tours and Drive-Thru Experiences to Visit this Holiday Season

These seven holiday light displays deliver some of the brightest festive magic in the 352 area this season.

A festive Thanksgiving table filled with traditional dishes like roast turkey, green beans, pie, and drinks, overlaid with the text “Thanksgiving Dining Around the 352 – Local Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving Dine-In and Takeout.”
Holiday Guide
2 months ago
Ocala Area Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving 2025 – Where to Eat or Order Out

From homestyle feasts to buffet dining, restaurants across our area are offering dine-in and takeout Thanksgiving meals so you can enjoy the holiday without the hassle of cooking.

A rolling rack full of festive holiday pajamas in various colors sat near a store window.
Holiday Guide
2 months ago
Where to Get Your Comfy, Cozy, Kitschy Christmas Pajamas in Ocala Before They’re Gone

Ocala’s mix of national retailers and local boutiques makes finding holiday pajamas easy to get cozy in style.

A long wooden table has a variety of fruits, cheese, vegetables, meats and other goods.
Food & Drink
2 months ago
Sip, Savor and Saddle Up: World Equestrian Center’s Ocala Food and Wine Festival

The World Equestrian Center of Ocala hosted its annual 2025 Ocala Food & Wine Festival.

A hawk perched on a power line against a cloudy sky, its feathers showing shades of brown and white.
Features
2 months ago
Defunct Ocala: From Raptors to Rodeos: The Evolution of Florida Adventureland

Decades before theme parks defined Florida tourism, a stretch south of Ocala hosted John Hamlet’s Birds of Prey and its carnival-style successor Florida Adventureland.

A man in a chef's outfit stands in front of a bar with a TV screen above him in the background. The bar behind him is full of glasses on wooden shelves and wooded surfaces around it.
Food & Drink
2 months ago
352Eats: Live Fire Chefs Brings Upscale Flavor and Local Passion to Downtown Ocala

Live Fire Chefs, owned by Chef Patrick Cahill, brings a new flavor and energy to downtown Ocala’s restaurant scene.

Actor in flight gear walking on runway, promotional still from Top Gun: Maverick.
Entertainment
2 months ago
Always a Panther: Actor Miles Teller Returns Home to Lecanto High School

Lecanto High School alumnus and Hollywood actor Miles Teller will return to his hometown for a special invitation-only event celebrating his achievements and inspiring students with reflections on his journey from Citrus County to the big screen.

A tan colored building in a outdoor shopping plaza. Window clings are advertising a new Planet Smoothie.
Food & Drink
3 months ago
Planet Smoothie Coming to Bring More Fruit-Powered Choices to Ocala

Ocala’s food-and-beverage scene continues to expand with a new Planet Smoothie preparing to open in Market Street at Heath Brook.

A group of people walk on a sidewalk toward a two-story gray house with white accents and a dark gray roof. Grass and trees surround the property with other houses in the background.
352 Fall Guide
3 months ago
352 After Dark: Ghosts and History Highlight Historic Ocala Preservation Society Tour

Stories stirred during the Historic Ocala Preservation Society’s annual Ghost Tour, where history and hauntings intertwined through downtown’s most storied homes.