Just 30 minutes outside of Gainesville lies a 270-acre plot of land awaiting its transformation. Although not fully developed yet, it bears the name WildFlowers Music Park, and plans and events for the space are already underway.
The Alachua County Board of Commissioners will decide whether to grant WildFlowers Music Park a temporary use permit at a meeting scheduled for Feb. 10. This permit would grant WildFlowers the ability to host and operate a planned festival.
Purchased in August 2025 for $2.6 million by a group of investors, WildFlowers Music Park has been enlisting volunteers, clearing land and getting the necessary permits to begin construction. WildFlowers plans to mainly host music festivals, but it aims to expand beyond just entertainment.
When people hear WildFlowers Music Park, they may assume it refers to music festivals, and they’re not all that far off. WildFlowers already has a proposed festival for the weekend of March 13-15, 2026.
The event has a lineup of 30 bands and includes camping, dance tents, environmental education and art vendors. Robert Hutchinson, the park’s chief petty officer of existential logistics, said he sees this becoming a multiyear thing.
“In the future, they’ll say ‘You have a festival day off. Come to the festival.’ We’ll give them all free admission and there will be tons of activities for the kids,” said Hutchinson. “That becomes the thing they look forward to every year and then becomes ingrained in the culture of the place.”
Even though the festival is the main focus of this park, Hutchinson said they also plan to create a 2.5-mile walking trail, and when the park is not being used for an event, residents can enjoy the park and the nature within it.
Melrose is a small unincorporated community in north central Florida located at the intersection of four counties: Alachua, Bradford, Clay and Putnam.
The unincorporated community has a population of just 5,600 and has stayed small, despite people constantly moving in. Melrose is historically known for having minimal development, one blinking stoplight and a close-knit community
Although four counties have jurisdiction over different parts of the community, WildFlowers is located on the Alachua County side and has legal jurisdiction over the park.
The potential existence of a large-scale venue, like WildFlowers, is daunting for some living in the quaintness of Melrose. Harriett Huss, a Melrose resident of 45 years, said this fear of change among locals isn’t an uncommon thing.
“There are people who are afraid of growth happening,” Huss said. “There are a lot of things that could’ve happened that the community stops from happening.”
Residents and organized groups have protested the development of the park.
Within two minutes of driving into the community of Melrose, you can spot small white signs with a big red diagonal line over the words “WildFlowers Music Park.” The signs can be seen in bulk leading up to the venue. Many people whose property is close to the park land are strongly opposed. Michelle Baer is one of those neighbors.
“It feels like a bunch of people with a few million dollars came in here and decided we’re in charge here,” Baer said.
Neighbors say they are concerned about the traffic, runoff into wells and public safety, among other issues regarding the venue. Melrose Forever presents a united front against the park. Melrose Forever, according to its Facebook page, is “a grassroots group who loves our town of 5,634 residents. We seek to protect its character, natural beauty.... our mission is to preserve Melrose and its way of life.”
One way the group has voiced its opposition was by organizing a protest in downtown Melrose in early January. Many residents showed up with signs to state their position and advocate to keep Melrose the way it is.
Even though WildFlowers has a set plan of action, there is still a lot of uncertainty for its future. The Alachua County Commission meeting scheduled for Feb. 10 will determine whether the temporary use permit that WildFlowers applied for will be approved. This permit grants WildFlowers the ability to host and operate the festival.
Baer said she believes the meeting will be heavily attended by Melrose residents, especially due to the ability for the public to voice their opinion in front of the commissioners. She said she will be there, making sure she uses her whole three minutes to speak against the WildFlowers Music Park.
Huss said she will be there as well, and if she speaks, she will be in support of the park. Even though her home is near the park property, Huss said she feels that WildFlowers would be an influential piece of land that would bring more good than harm to the community.
“I think they should look past the festival to the broader impact that the park will have year-round,” said Huss.
The future of Melrose and WildFlowers is in the hands of the commissioners. If the permit does not pass or the festival fails, the land gets sold and the dream of WildFlowers Music Park ends with it.