The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corp along and three of the ladies’ granddaughters shined on the 4th of July with three dazzling performances Monday evening. A hot summer night couldn’t keep their spirits down and the crowd loved every minute of it.
With more than 3,000 flags ready to hand out to everyone in the squares, the festivities began with a bang.
Watch video of this year’s show:
Dressed in patriotic colors and sparkles, the Twirlers marched into Brownwood Paddock Square to start their three part appearance with precision like a military pass and review. A crowd of approximately 500, dressed in red, white and blue, waved their flags and cheered as the Twirlers began their routine.
Tony and Sylvia Salerno were visiting from Maine and commented on not only the great performance but the stamina of the Twirlers in what was a heat index of 106 at performance time.
“We come down for the 4th of July every year to visit my parents,” Salerno said. “This is the hottest I have ever seen it. These gals are amazing for performing in this kind of weather. I give them a lot of credit.”
A brief shower at the beginning of the performance cooled everyone down for a few minutes but that was short lived.
Ann Pelle, captain of the Villages Twirlers was thrilled to have her granddaughter Madison by her side and performing with her.
“She’s so excited. I just hope the girls hold out in the heat,” she said. “We’re grateful for the people that came out and braved the heat to see us. We love them all!”
Each half-hour performance was flawless and ended to a rousing cheer from the crowd. Three of the Twirlers granddaughters joined in, waving flags and waving to the crowd. A fire baton twirling performance climaxed the show.
The 4th of July festivities continued with the Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross stilt walkers and country music from the Andrew Morris Band.
The Twirlers boarded their bus and headed to Lake Sumter Landing for their second performance, finishing up at Spanish Springs Town Square.
“We do this every year and every year we love it even more,” Pelle said.
For information on The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corp’s upcoming performances, visit their website