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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Villagers anticipating debut of Heritage parade at Spanish Springs Town Square

Spanish Springs will roar to life Tuesday afternoon as the new Heritage Parade makes its way through town square beginning at 3:15 p.m.

This marks the first year for the event, which is the culmination of the Italian and German parades being consolidated into one parade. The event is being staged by the Resident Parade Committee, which relies on resident volunteers.

The gigantic beer barrel has been a popular attraction in the old Oktoberfest Parade.

The two parades have taken place in October in Spanish Springs for the past five years. But members of the Resident Parade Committee are confident that Villagers will respond favorably to the new event, which has generated a level of excitement throughout the community in the past few weeks.

The new parade also officially kicks off Oktoberfest 2018 in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown with a festival that runs from 5-9 p.m. in Spanish Springs. Those attending can enjoy authentic German-themed food and beer, as well as music and a night of varied entertainment.

Festival goers will have three choices of music, all from 5-9 p.m.:

  • The Gazebo: King Guy’s Oktoberfest Brass Band;
  • Del Mar Stage: The Swinging Bavarians; and
  • Alvarez Avenue stage: Heidelberg Hot Shots.

A variety of town square activities also will take place. Those include:

  • 5 p.m.: The Villagers Cheerleaders at The Gazebo;
  • 5-8:30 p.m.: The Villages Stilt Walkers strolling through town square;
  • 5:15-5:45 p.m.: Sunshine Strollers performing between TooJay’s & Katie Belle’s;
  • 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Members of Clown Alley #179 Strolling around town square; and
  •  p.m.: Gem Stone Dancers performing at The Gazebo.

Parades in The Villages previously were put on by The Villages Entertainment Department, which announced in 2012 that they would be discontinued. That didn’t sit well with members of Villages groups who enjoyed taking part in the parades.

June and Frank Truglio at the 2017 Italian-American Parade.

So they appealed to the Amenity Authority Committee and a deal was struck to stage an Irish parade in March and the Italian and German parades in October in Spanish Springs. The Resident Parade Committee was then formed and the parades became all-volunteer events.

In August, the group announced the formation of the Heritage Parade and encouraged fans of both of the former parades to attend and take part in the festival afterwards.

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