Quote:
Originally Posted by tophcfa
Just another reason to have a festival, it’s not about the fruit or whatever else is supposed to actually be being celebrated. I was excited with anticipation for the big annual St. Patrick’s day festival so I could get some corned beef and cabbage and a Guinness, neither were available. Maybe it’s just me, but that’s what I associate St. Patrick’s with, not stilt walkers and baton twirlers?
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Over the years we've noticed the various "festivals" have lost most, if not all, of their unique characteristics. The German, Irish, Italian are all fine get togethers, but the UNIQUE features, like the corn beef and cabbage you mention, has faded into an almost boiler plate like format. Now, I'm not sure how "The Villages" can insist particular vendors, or new vendors, participate, so they would have to concentrate on how to make each festival special, unique, interesting. Many do not like the "old days", of residents sitting in groups, often from the same street or neighborhood, along the parade routes anticipating the Christmas parade. The parade was never the same after moving to the polo field, and having parades in all squares is just too overwhelming (apparently). The horses in the Christmas parade and some other parades, messed the village's streets and angered many, it contained a float or two (sometimes) with a Church or Christian theme, but most were bands from local schools, and just floats of joy and happiness, elves and Santa, just fun, not "making a statement". Then the "cultural thing" became a concern, the Irish might claim superiority over the Germans, or Italians, and then there was the problem of no Norwegian festival, so of course the "lines" that distinguished the various festivals needed to be "toned down" a bit, blended into kind of "oneness" that reflected a new era. Again, no problem, but we just gradually found them boring, and skipped most. But, the numbers of new residents pouring in each day, really makes it unnecessary to add any "new pizazz" to the festivals.