Free ribbon cutting Oct. 16 for downtown Winter Haven's Oldt Carillon Bell Tower

Editorial graphic by Winter Haven Community Website. Illustrative blurred community background: Wesley Chapel, Florida (August 2024), LittleT889 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Photo source · License

Winter Haven will hold the official ribbon cutting for the Oldt Carillon Bell Tower from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at South Central Park downtown. The city put out the invitation Oct. 1 and said the public is welcome.

The city's facilities page lists the park at 450 W. Central Ave. Chairs and picnic tables are on site.

What the tower is

The carillon's bronze bells were cast in the Netherlands, and the instrument comes one note shy of a full two-octave chromatic scale. It is already programmed to play music several times a day, so residents and downtown workers have been hearing it well ahead of the ceremony.

Winter Haven Daily reported in July that the 24-foot tower holds 23 bronze bells and came from a $360,000 donation by Tom Oldt. Project lead Katie White told the outlet the tower was meant to honor Oldt's family, who have been in the area since the 1920s, and that Oldt was inspired by a similar tower he saw in Holland. In the city's announcement, the gift is described as a way of expressing gratitude to the community and honoring the Oldt family's memory.

What to expect that evening

When the ceremony was first previewed over the summer, Winter Haven Daily reported it would include playing the various bells and an outdoor concert open to the public. The city's October notice confirms the date, time and location.