The Italians took over Spanish Springs Town Square Tuesday afternoon with a little help from their friends.
The three Italian clubs in The Villages, with support from the German and Irish clubs, staged a parade under the heading “Benvenuti Amici.”(“Welcome Friends.”)
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Villages parade without the Villages Twirlers, the Village Cheerleaders, the Chatham Chicks and Clown Alley.
But it was the golf carts that seemed to steal the show.
Joe and Pauline Apichella of Bridgeport at Lake Sumter won first place for their decorated golf cart.
“It’s pretty good when you start with a cart that looks like a Cadillac Escalade,” Joe Apichella said.
Nick and Connie Mulidore of Sunnyside Villas staked out a perfect place to watch the parade — right in front of Katie Belle’s. They dressed the part, wearing the colors of Italy.
“I am Italian, but I married a Greek girl,” Nick Mulidore said. “Today she’s Italian.”
No one questioned popular singer Mary Jo Vitale’s Italian pedigree and she wowed the crowd with a pre-parade performance on the square.
The parade was put on by red-shirted resident volunteers who put up traffic cones, directed parade participants and cleaned everything up.
Next up will be the Oktoberfest parade on Oct. 22, also in Spanish Springs Town Square.
Did you miss the Italian Parade? Catch up with a 1-minute video with all of the highlights, including that winning golf cart.
http://villages-news.com/italian-parade/
