Things to Know About Inverness
As some might know, Inverness is a small town in Citrus County, that is centrally located in the state of Florida. It is where I was born and raised. I have had the chance to see the growth and development that Inverness has had over the years. This town is amazing and has the perfect blend of people for a smaller town with exceptional growth and there are so many reasons why one should move here to grow their family..
Before I begin, here is a quick history lesson about our town. The City of Inverness began on March 6, 1919, and before it became Inverness. It was a settlement called “Tompkinsville” that was named for A.D. Tompkins and this town had a total population of 30 people. He was also known as “Uncle Alf” who aimed to draw settlers with mail service and a sawmill. The person credited to opening with the first store in Inverness and laying out this town is Tompkins brother, Frank M. Dampier. In honor of these two gentlemen that helped establish the City of Inverness, there are streets named after them downtown. “Tompkinsville” was eventually sold to a firm in Jacksonville and the name got changed to Inverness because of the blue water of the Tsala Apopka Lake and that is similar to the lochs and headlands of Scotland.
Some of our historical buildings that we have downtown that anyone can visit are the Old Courthouse that is now known as the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum and the Valerie Theater. The Old Courthouse that stands on the square of downtown Inverness was built in 1912 and it was emblematic of the hopes of the county leaders for Citrus County. This is the place where the decisions were made to make our county great. Across the street is the Valerie Theater that was built in the 1920s during the silent film age and was decorated with velour curtains, brightly lit marquee, and an electric air circulation. It was considered one of the most modern and beautiful theaters in the area up until it closed in 1987. People have restored that movie theater so guests can visit and watch movies again. Did you know that when “Follow That Dream” staring Elvis Presley was being filmed, daily clips from the movie were viewed with Elvis himself at the Valerie? Now you do!
Now on to things Inverness has to offer through its events or even just the community itself. One annual event a lot of people know is 3-day music festival called the Cooter Festival held on Lake Henderson at Liberty Park and Wallace Park. It is a celebration of the native Cooter turtle where you are able to listen to classic rock and roll from the 60s, 70s and 80s. The park has an adventure zone, food and beverage zone, and wild Cooter carnival. There are hourly turtle races, carnival rides, street performances, a wildlife exhibition, and water sports activities. At the beginning of the festival on Friday, there is a Zombie run and then on Sunday there is a costume contest with a scavenger hunt.
Some other very popular events that occur in Inverness, FL are events like our monthly Friday Night Thunder. Friday Night Thunder is a car show in downtown Inverness where people have the opportunity to show off their antique-like cars and for others to view them. During St. Patty’s Day, Inverness is a HOTSPOT for celebration. It occurs on the Saturday before St. Patty’s Day where there is a Leprechaun Crawl and a Fairy Costume Contests and there is also food, beverages, and music. You do not want to miss out on this event, but make sure you wear green! During the time of St. Patty’s Day, there is also our weeklong fair for the entire county and this event normally occurs during spring break where you can enjoy carnival rides, food, drinks, games, and be able to visit the animal exhibits. These are only a few events Inverness offers and there are so many more to keep an eye out for so you do not miss out. Click the text box below for the events calendar.
Our community not only hosts all these events everyone loves, but we have so many things you can be a part of such as some of our local nonprofit clubs, ride your bike along the Rails to Trails that connects the city and state parks, visit the Inverness Depot District where small business caters to cycling, tourism, music and many activities. It also includes an open-air pavilion, a water tower with stage, a playground, and picnic area that anyone can enjoy and it also hosts our Farmers Market. Then if you are into sports or going on a walk somewhere you can enjoy the trails at Holden Park where there are soccer fields, a playground, and a kickball field or you can visit Whispering Pines to take a walk on one of their trails, play a game of softball, baseball, or basketball, go to the playground, visit Puddle in the Pines, take a dip in the pool, or enjoy a game of frisbee golf or tennis. There are so many different places to visit here in this little town depending on what you or your family likes, so don’t be afraid to ask a local!
This is one of the best places to raise a family. I was born and raised here and then I raised my family here as well because of the community being so kind, safe, and compassionate towards everything and everyone. As you walk downtown you can see it… it is filled with small, local businesses that give back to our community and support each other. Because we are a small town and everyone knows each other, it feels as if we are all family. There are not many places you can say this about and be true to your word. Wouldn’t you be proud to call this your home too?
Fun Facts
The Withlacoochee State Trail is 46-miles long extending through Trilby, Istachatta, Inverness, and Citrus Springs to northern trailhead near Dunnellon.
The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum included artifacts and displays devoted to the history of Citrus County also hosts special events and programs such as monthly concert series featuring acoustic, blues and jazz, and a Coffee and Conversations Series.
In the summer of 1961, Elvis Presley came to Citrus County to film “Follow that Dream.”
Fort Cooper State Park is a 710-acre nature reserve that is home to Lake Holathlikaha and a diverse array of fauna and flora.
The population in Inverness is 7,837 as of July 1, 2021.
The total housing units is 4,336 with owner occupied HU being 2,464, renter occupied HU being 1,167, and vacant housing units being 705.
Inverness’s schools are Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Inverness Primary School, Inverness Middle School, and Citrus High School. Then Inverness has Withlacoochee Technical College.
Tsala Apopka chain of lakes offer some of the best bass fishing.
Cooter Festival was featured on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show because of the controversy of the name before the festival even happened.
