Nassau County to Mark 9/11 Anniversary at Sheriff's Office Ceremony

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office will host a public ceremony on September 11, 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The remembrance event will begin at 9:00 a. m. at the sheriff's office headquarters at 77151 Citizens Circle in Yulee.

Two or more members of the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners are expected to attend the ceremony, according to a public notice issued by the county. The event is open to the public.

What's happening

The ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2026, at 9:00 a. m. at the Nassau County Sheriff's Office, located at 77151 Citizens Circle in Yulee. The stated purpose is to attend the remembrance ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of September 11.

The county has issued a formal notice of gathering to comply with Florida's Sunshine Law, which requires transparency when multiple elected officials may be present at the same event. According to the notice, board members who attend will not take any action or vote at the meeting, and this is not an official meeting of the Board of County Commissioners.

The notice was issued by Alyson R. McCullough, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, and attested by Mitch Keiter, Ex-Officio Clerk. The event is open to the public, and persons needing a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the County Manager's Office at contact@nassaucountyfl. com or 904-530-6010 at least seventy-two hours prior to the event.

A quarter-century milestone

The September 11, 2026, ceremony will mark exactly 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Remembrance events on this milestone anniversary are likely to draw community attention across the region, as residents who lived through the attacks reflect on a generation that has passed since that day.

For Nassau County, a community with strong ties to the military—given its proximity to Naval Station Mayport and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay just across the Georgia line—the anniversary carries particular resonance. First responders and military personnel from Northeast Florida deployed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and in the conflicts that followed.

The timing of the ceremony, scheduled for 9:00 a. m., corresponds to the morning hours when the attacks unfolded in 2001. The first plane struck the World Trade Center's North Tower at 8:46 a. m. Eastern Time, and by 9:03 a. m., the South Tower had been hit.

Public access and civic engagement

The Sunshine Law notice underscores Nassau County's approach to transparency when elected officials gather in public settings. Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law requires that meetings of two or more members of a collegial public body, where official business may be discussed, be noticed and open to the public.

While the remembrance ceremony is not a meeting where county business will be conducted, the formal notice ensures that residents are aware commissioners may be present and allows the public to attend. This practice is common in Florida when elected officials attend community events, charitable functions, or ceremonial gatherings.

The event's location at the sheriff's office headquarters in Yulee places it in the heart of Nassau County's government and public-safety corridor along U. S. 17 and A1A. The Citizens Circle address is part of the county's administrative campus, which also houses other government offices and serves as a central point for public services in the unincorporated Yulee area.

What this means for the community

Remembrance ceremonies like the one planned for September 11 serve as opportunities for community gathering and collective reflection. In Nassau County, where growth has been rapid—particularly in the Wildlight master-planned community and along the A1A and SR 200 corridors—such events can help anchor newer residents to the broader civic life of the county.

For many Nassau County families, the 25th anniversary will be a moment to introduce a new generation to the history and significance of September 11. Children born after 2001 are now young adults, and those born in the years immediately following the attacks are in high school and college. Public ceremonies help bridge that generational gap and keep the memory and lessons of that day present in community consciousness.

The sheriff's office, as the primary law-enforcement agency for unincorporated Nassau County and several municipalities under contract, plays a central role in public safety and emergency response. Hosting the ceremony at the sheriff's headquarters highlights the connection between the events of September 11 and the ongoing work of first responders.

Nassau County's population has grown significantly over the past two decades, more than doubling since 2000. Many current residents moved to the area well after 2001, drawn by the county's affordability, proximity to Jacksonville, and quality of life. Public events that mark shared national milestones can help integrate a diverse and growing population into a common civic identity.

Attending the ceremony

The ceremony is open to the public, and no advance registration is required according to the notice. Residents planning to attend should arrive at the Nassau County Sheriff's Office at 77151 Citizens Circle in Yulee by 9:00 a. m. on September 11.

Those requiring accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the County Manager's Office at least seventy-two hours before the event. The contact information is contact@nassaucountyfl. com, 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 1, Yulee, FL 32097, or by phone at 904-530-6010. Hearing or voice-impaired individuals may use the Florida Relay Service at 711 or toll-free at 1-800-955-8771 (TTY).

As Nassau County continues to grow and evolve, civic ceremonies and public gatherings offer touchstones that connect the community to its history and to the broader American experience. The September 11 remembrance ceremony is one such moment, inviting residents old and new to pause and reflect together on a day that shaped the nation and the world.