By Debra Daniel
Positively Osceola
Tuesday’s “Breakfast with the Pros,” hosted by St. Cloud Main Street at St. Cloud’s VFW Hall, featured updates from St. Cloud Mayor Chris Robertson, caretaker of the Grand Old Army building, and John Weaver, co-owner with his wife Terry, of The Old Florida Riverboat Company.
As she introduced the speakers, Paula Stark, executive director of St. Cloud Main Street, encouraged residents to continue to attend the monthly “Breakfast with the Pros” meetings, which include free breakfast for the first 30 attendees. “We do this once a month through the month of March, so please check it out and come and listen to all of our speakers, because we have a great lineup,” Stark said.
To learn more about St. Cloud Main Street and see a schedule of upcoming “Breakfast with the Pros” speakers, go to https://stcloudmainstreet.org.
Built in 1914 on Massachusetts Avenue in St. Cloud, the GAR building has been closed for four decades. Robertson, who has been caretaker for five years, shared his vision for reopening the historic site as a place of community. From town hall meetings to fundraising events to school field trips, he said he wants the community to “get in there and explore it.”
Robertson plans to provide a room for the Museum of Military History, which is located in Kissimmee, to display artifacts from every conflict in American history, from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, all the way through the War on Terror. “So we’re really trying to bring some significant stuff here to St. Cloud,” he concluded. The ribbon cutting for the re-opening of the GAR building is set for February 1, 2026.
Weaver, who recently retired, said that while reviving the paddleboat business has been a lot more work than retirement, it has been a labor of love. The couple have made a lot of changes, beginning with the boat’s name – now The Lillie, after a riverboat that once operated on East Lake Tohopekaliga in the early 1900s. They have been working on the interior, as well. “We changed the inside some so that it’s more period, but at the same time, it’s a little more elegant than what it was before,” Weaver said. “If anybody has been on the boat before, you’ll see a big difference.”
The riverboat currently offers sunset cruises with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and afternoon cruises every other Sunday. They plan to offer some holiday events, as well, including Halloween nights and special events at Christmastime, when the boat will be decorated for the holiday.
The Lillie has a cash bar with both mixed drinks and non-alcoholic drinks, and they have partnered with 10th Street Deli to offer charcuterie boards. Tickets are $45 – with discounts for veterans, seniors, and children – and can be purchased at www.oldfloridariverboatcompany.com.
Weaver thanked the community for their encouragement. “Your support has been amazing,” he said. “We couldn’t do this without the City support, without the people of the city supporting us and helping us to get this done.”
