FELLSMERE — Hundreds of Fellsmere residents will descend on the Old Fellsmere School campus Saturday to celebrate their city’s 102nd birthday – and at the helm of this year’s celebration will be Grand Marshal Miss Wanda.
“I told them I want a convertible,” Wanda Szeman said. “I want a Jaguar. They got me a Jeep!”
Szeman said she was surprised the Fellsmere Beautification Committee asked her to be the Fellsmere Day Parade’s Grand Marshal.
“It never dawned on me,” she said of being selected. “It’s always been a politician and I’m away from politics.”
Szeman has been spending the last week or so practicing her wave and smile and fretting over what she’s going to wear. She’d like to find a period costume to highlight the city’s history.
This year’s festivities are expected to be much like previous years, with a few changes. One such addition to the day’s lineup is a cake walk, which had been part of the birthday celebration once upon a time, according to Fellsmere Day coordinator Maria Sanchez.
“We’re going to try that again,” Sanchez said, explaining that it had been dropped from the activities in the past due to a lack of sponsorships.
Between 15 and 20 desserts donated by local stores will be offered. Participants will be asked to pay $1 per chance to win – they will walk a path lined with numbers, when the music stops a number is selected and person standing at that number wins the round.
“It’s like Hot Potato,” Sanchez said.
The cake walk will start at Noon and be held throughout the day until all the desserts have been won.
Saturday’s celebration will get off to an early start with the traditional pancake breakfast at the Community Center on N. Broadway. The Fellsmere Boys & Girls Club is hosting the breakfast this year.
After participants have gotten their fill of pancakes, the Fellsmere Day Parade will get started, running from the corner of Cypress and County Road 512 to N. Broadway. The floats will travel north on Broadway to the end and then make a U-turn back south to CR 512.
“Fellsmere Day is all about the local people,” Sanchez said – a way to highlight the small city.
Entertainment this year will include the Sho Nuff Band, which performed last year, and a new Hispanic band, Los Manantiales del Norte.
“We’re excited to see them here,” Sanchez said.
Also joining the lineup Saturday is the Sebastian Hip Hop Dancers, which will perform at 2 p.m., just before the Little Miss Fellsmere Pageant gets underway at 3 p.m.
Throughout the day, more than a dozen food and craft vendors will be offering their wares on the Old Fellsmere School grounds. As of press time, there were 15 vendors signed up with room for more.
Sanchez said applications would be accepted up through Friday, April 5.
Vendors are encouraged to visit the city’s website, www.CityOfFellsmere.org for an application, drop by City Hall to pick one up, or call Sanchez at (772) 571-1360.
