The cheers were loud and the smiles aplenty on Tuesday afternoon as the Italian-German Parade took Spanish Springs Town Square by storm.
The parade stepped off promptly at 3:15 p.m. with Lady Lake Police Chief Robert Tempesta and his officers leading the procession through town square. They were followed by a plethora of resident performance groups, decorated golf carts and high school bands, among others.
“I loved it,” said Brenda Jo Bobaz, a member of the Villages Sweeties, who was busy showing off her husband, Victor, and his “Spud Stud” T-shirt. “It’s a great thing for Villagers and they come out in droves.”
For Village of Virginia Trace resident John Goulet, the parade was all about handing out flags and meeting the spectators. Goulet, also known as “Kappy,” was one of the many members of Clown Alley 179 who took part in the parade.
“I love it every year,” he said with a huge smile.
Perhaps no one in the parade was having quite as much fun as Colleen and Ed Maffuccio, of the Village of Mallory Square. They participated in their custom green golf cart, which was decorated with Italian and American flags. And just for good measure, Ed was wearing a hat that looked like a pizza.
“Hey, we’re Italian,” Colleen shouted as they two made their way past Flippers Pizzeria. “Just look at this nose! Look at Ed’s nose!” she added with a laugh.
Come March and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, however, Ed said the two might suddenly sport a new look.
“This is our fourth or fifth parade,” he said. “We do them all. We’ll be in the Irish one, too, just with different decorations.”
For Nathan Pratt, commandant of The Col. Phillip C. Delong Detachment #1267 of the Marine Corps League, the parade offered many special moments.
“It’s rewarding to see somebody stand up that has a Korean War or World War II cap on, and salute,” he said. “They can barely stand up, but when our colors go by, they acknowledge that and that makes you proud. It makes you appreciate what we’re doing to have people recognize that in the crowd.”
Ann Pelle, who leads The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps, agreed.
“It was beautiful how they blended both the Italian and the German to make one very good parade,” she said. “And I’m especially excited for myself and my team that we got to represent Germany, because I was born in Germany. So that was extra special to me,” added Pelle, who was adopted as a child by an Air Force family.
Meanwhile, Village of DeSoto resident Michelle Bagonyi spent time at the parade with her two Shih Tzus, Madeline and Maxwell.
“It was my first parade and I loved it,” said the Long Island, N.Y. transplant.
Bagonyi added that next year she will be involved in the event.
“We’ll be walking with the Dynamic Dogs group,” she said.
For Tammy Adams, of the Village of Ashland, the parade was just one of the many things she enjoys about living in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
“We feel very blessed,” she said. “There’s something for everybody here. The possibilities are endless. If you’re not happy here, you’re not going to be happy anywhere else.”
