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Joining in on the celebrations of Ace Hardware’s 100th anniversary, Sunshine Ace Hardware hosted a free, family-friendly Ace Celebrates 100 Block Party on June 29.
The party was held at the operation’s location in Bonita Springs, Florida, and featured an Old Florida Roaring ’20s theme with antique cars, Prohibition-era barrels and Roaring ’20s props for photo opportunities. Gator Nate, known for his “Florida swamp music,” performed, and the Wonder Gardens hosted a pop-up Exotic Animal Encounter with meet-and-greets with animal ambassadors.
Guests enjoyed grilled oysters Rockefeller, pulled pork tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, pineapple upside-down cake, cupcakes and a Loud Mouth barbecue sauce sampling station, as well as a YETI Drink Bar featuring lemonade, sodas and water.
All of the employees wore Ace Hardware 100-year retro Ace logo T-shirts with fedoras or flappers’ headgear.
“Although Sunshine Ace Hardware didn’t get its start until 1958, we wanted to celebrate Ace Hardware’s founding in 1924 because Ace is the preferred hardware store for so many Southwest Floridians—those born and raised here, as well as residents who moved here from other parts of the country,” says Michael Wynn, president of Sunshine Ace Hardware. “It’s amazing to think Ace Hardware got its start after five independent store owners decided to pool their buying power, and today the company has more than 5,900 stores in 60 countries. We were also honored that Ace Hardware’s national office joined us at our event with a film crew and chose Sunshine Ace Hardware as one of the four stores in the United States to cover this exciting event.”
In addition to the Ace Celebrates 100 Party in Bonita Springs, Sunshine Ace Hardware stores across Collier, Lee, Charlotte and Pinellas counties, as well as Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware stores in Manatee County, hosted 100th Anniversary Block Parties featuring complimentary grilled food and cold drinks.
Learn more about how retailers are engaging with the community through store events in our Checkouts section.
