March 10, 2019 at 10:51AM
A slimmed-down version of the annual Mardi Gras celebration in The Villages wrapped up this past week on Fat Tuesday as a sea of purple, green and gold washed across Spanish Springs Town Square.
Several Villagers were upset because large tables in front of Demshar's and Dunkin' Donuts were missing from the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras celebration at Spanish Springs Town Square this year. The event brought in thousands of people but it was a much different Mardi Gras experience than Villagers are used to enjoying. For starters, it was only held at Spanish Springs, with the sister celebration at Lake Sumter Landing eliminated. And some of the main resident-provided entertainment, such as The Villages Cheerleaders and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps, were blatantly absent, as was the immensely popular Perseverance Brass Band, which had been a fixture in The Villages since 1995.
In some ways, this year's Mardi Gras celebration proved to be the first time area residents felt the wrath of The Villages Entertainment Department's "sweeping changes" to events, which was detailed in a January letter to Resident Lifestyle Performance Groups.
Several thousand people turned out for the recent Mardi Gras party in Spanish Springs Town Square, though it's safe to say that the majority of them had no idea how much bigger the celebration was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That letter said that participation among those groups wasn't being terminated, but instead restructured – a fact that was quite evident in the cutbacks across the board at the event, including going so far as to really upset some Villagers with the elimination of large tables where groups used to be able to sit down in front of Demshar's and Dunkin' Donuts and grab a bite or a drink and socialize for a few minutes.
But what many Villagers don't know is that the Mardi Gras celebrations they've enjoyed over the past several years actually have been scaled-back versions of the epic events longtime residents recall with fondness.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mardi Gras easily was the biggest and best celebration held each year. In those days, Spanish Springs was the only town square and every year at Mardi Gras, it took on the personality of a mini-New Orleans – only with mostly well-behaved people who kept all of their clothes on.
In those days, the Mardi Gras parties in The Villages involved an annual parade that was quite impressive, to say the least. Intricate floats resembling those found in parades in New Orleans would make their way down Main Street as residents and Villages employee celebrated the event by tossing out beads to the adults and candy to the children in attendance. Those riding on the floats oftentimes were decked out in intricate, colorful costumes that would make Fat Tuesday partiers in The Big Easy proud.
Gerry Lynch, center, leads The Villages Cheerleaders through their routine during the 2016 Mardi Gras. Those Mardi Gras parades also featured bands booming out Dixieland Jazz music that had residents dancing on the sidewalks and all across the square. And even though later Mardi Gras celebrations drew several thousand revelers to Villages town squares, the parades of yesteryear drew even larger crowds that turned Main Street in a smaller version of the legendary Canal Street in the heart of New Orleans.
But that festival apparently became too big for the powers-that-be in Florida's Friendliest Hometown, and like many favorites that have been eliminated over the years, the highly popular parade that partly defined the community went by the wayside.
The Aloha 'O Ka Hula Dance Troupe performs for the crowd at the Spanish Springs Mardi Gras in 2014. To attempt to compensate, the Mardi Gras celebration became a two-town-square soiree – sold to disappointed and upset Villagers as a chance to double their fun.
While the parade was missed and some Villagers remained upset for several years, the thing that largely sold the new concept was the opportunity for residents in performance groups to showcase their talents during the biggest Villages party of the year, as well as the addition of street performers and multiple stages featuring a variety of acts.
For instance, in 2007, at least five bands performed on different stages, including Cajun Dave, The Mickey Finn Show and Paul Vesco's Mardi Gras Bands. Strolling musicians, stilt walkers, street puppets and the colorful members of Clown Alley 179 also were on hand. And food vendors brought a variety of Cajun delights to partying Villagers.
In 2014, the Mardi Gras bash was a success at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square because in addition to beads, masks, costumes, music and food, groups like The Villages Cheerleaders put on a crowd-pleasing performance.
The Villages Dixieland Band performs during Mardi Gras at Spanish Springs Town Square in 2014. And the same can be said for the Spanish Springs version of the event, because even though it rained, a standing-room-only crowd turned out to enjoy The Villages Dixieland Band, the Perseverance Brass Band, the Aloha O'ka Hula Dance Troupe, The Village Gypsies and The Villages Gem Stone Dancers.
That formula proved to be a success in other years as well. In 2016 at Lake Sumter Landing, residents cheered wildly as Gerry Lynch, founder of The Villages Cheerleaders, led her squad through their routine, which included delighting the crowd with their version of "When the Saints Go Marching In."
The Villages Cheerleaders perform in 2014 at the Mardi Gras celebration at Lake Sumter Landing. The same proved true for the 2017 version of Mardi Gras at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, when once again, variety was the key to success. At that event, members of the Sweet and Sassy Line Dance team, The Villages Cheerleaders and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps received resounding rounds of applause for their performances.
Last year's version of Mardi Gras at Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter Landing saw similar results with packed beer tent lines and Cajun-treat-themed food booths, as well as the Perseverance Brass Band, the Silver Rockettes and Captain Ann Pelle and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps literally stealing the shows.
As area residents now know, it's a new era for events in Florida's Friendliest Hometown, with the words "scaled down" appearing to accurately define them. Last week's Mardi Gras celebrated proved that to be true. But whether Villagers will be happy with the smaller version of the annual celebration under The Villages Entertainment Department's trimmed-back agenda really remains to be seen.
Stilt walkers are a favorite among the crowd at the annual Mardi Gras celebration in The Villages. 
A slimmed-down version of the annual Mardi Gras celebration in The Villages wrapped up this past week on Fat Tuesday as a sea of purple, green and gold washed across Spanish Springs Town Square.
Several Villagers were upset because large tables in front of Demshar's and Dunkin' Donuts were missing from the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras celebration at Spanish Springs Town Square this year. The event brought in thousands of people but it was a much different Mardi Gras experience than Villagers are used to enjoying. For starters, it was only held at Spanish Springs, with the sister celebration at Lake Sumter Landing eliminated. And some of the main resident-provided entertainment, such as The Villages Cheerleaders and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps, were blatantly absent, as was the immensely popular Perseverance Brass Band, which had been a fixture in The Villages since 1995.
In some ways, this year's Mardi Gras celebration proved to be the first time area residents felt the wrath of The Villages Entertainment Department's "sweeping changes" to events, which was detailed in a January letter to Resident Lifestyle Performance Groups.
Several thousand people turned out for the recent Mardi Gras party in Spanish Springs Town Square, though it's safe to say that the majority of them had no idea how much bigger the celebration was in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That letter said that participation among those groups wasn't being terminated, but instead restructured – a fact that was quite evident in the cutbacks across the board at the event, including going so far as to really upset some Villagers with the elimination of large tables where groups used to be able to sit down in front of Demshar's and Dunkin' Donuts and grab a bite or a drink and socialize for a few minutes.
But what many Villagers don't know is that the Mardi Gras celebrations they've enjoyed over the past several years actually have been scaled-back versions of the epic events longtime residents recall with fondness.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mardi Gras easily was the biggest and best celebration held each year. In those days, Spanish Springs was the only town square and every year at Mardi Gras, it took on the personality of a mini-New Orleans – only with mostly well-behaved people who kept all of their clothes on.
In those days, the Mardi Gras parties in The Villages involved an annual parade that was quite impressive, to say the least. Intricate floats resembling those found in parades in New Orleans would make their way down Main Street as residents and Villages employee celebrated the event by tossing out beads to the adults and candy to the children in attendance. Those riding on the floats oftentimes were decked out in intricate, colorful costumes that would make Fat Tuesday partiers in The Big Easy proud.
Gerry Lynch, center, leads The Villages Cheerleaders through their routine during the 2016 Mardi Gras. Those Mardi Gras parades also featured bands booming out Dixieland Jazz music that had residents dancing on the sidewalks and all across the square. And even though later Mardi Gras celebrations drew several thousand revelers to Villages town squares, the parades of yesteryear drew even larger crowds that turned Main Street in a smaller version of the legendary Canal Street in the heart of New Orleans.
But that festival apparently became too big for the powers-that-be in Florida's Friendliest Hometown, and like many favorites that have been eliminated over the years, the highly popular parade that partly defined the community went by the wayside.
The Aloha 'O Ka Hula Dance Troupe performs for the crowd at the Spanish Springs Mardi Gras in 2014. To attempt to compensate, the Mardi Gras celebration became a two-town-square soiree – sold to disappointed and upset Villagers as a chance to double their fun.
While the parade was missed and some Villagers remained upset for several years, the thing that largely sold the new concept was the opportunity for residents in performance groups to showcase their talents during the biggest Villages party of the year, as well as the addition of street performers and multiple stages featuring a variety of acts.
For instance, in 2007, at least five bands performed on different stages, including Cajun Dave, The Mickey Finn Show and Paul Vesco's Mardi Gras Bands. Strolling musicians, stilt walkers, street puppets and the colorful members of Clown Alley 179 also were on hand. And food vendors brought a variety of Cajun delights to partying Villagers.
In 2014, the Mardi Gras bash was a success at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square because in addition to beads, masks, costumes, music and food, groups like The Villages Cheerleaders put on a crowd-pleasing performance.
The Villages Dixieland Band performs during Mardi Gras at Spanish Springs Town Square in 2014. And the same can be said for the Spanish Springs version of the event, because even though it rained, a standing-room-only crowd turned out to enjoy The Villages Dixieland Band, the Perseverance Brass Band, the Aloha O'ka Hula Dance Troupe, The Village Gypsies and The Villages Gem Stone Dancers.
That formula proved to be a success in other years as well. In 2016 at Lake Sumter Landing, residents cheered wildly as Gerry Lynch, founder of The Villages Cheerleaders, led her squad through their routine, which included delighting the crowd with their version of "When the Saints Go Marching In."
The Villages Cheerleaders perform in 2014 at the Mardi Gras celebration at Lake Sumter Landing. The same proved true for the 2017 version of Mardi Gras at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, when once again, variety was the key to success. At that event, members of the Sweet and Sassy Line Dance team, The Villages Cheerleaders and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps received resounding rounds of applause for their performances.
Last year's version of Mardi Gras at Spanish Springs and Lake Sumter Landing saw similar results with packed beer tent lines and Cajun-treat-themed food booths, as well as the Perseverance Brass Band, the Silver Rockettes and Captain Ann Pelle and The Villages Twirlers and Drum Corps literally stealing the shows.
As area residents now know, it's a new era for events in Florida's Friendliest Hometown, with the words "scaled down" appearing to accurately define them. Last week's Mardi Gras celebrated proved that to be true. But whether Villagers will be happy with the smaller version of the annual celebration under The Villages Entertainment Department's trimmed-back agenda really remains to be seen.
Stilt walkers are a favorite among the crowd at the annual Mardi Gras celebration in The Villages.