FELLSMERE — Though the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival has been going strong for nearly a quarter-century, there are those who can find something to do for the first time. And on the first day of the event – that’s exactly what happened.
A pair of brothers rode the Sizzler – a Fellsmere City Councilwoman took her first ride on a motorcycle – and a new reporter tasted frog legs.
Alicia Ojeda brought 7-year-old Luis and 8-year-old Jose out to the Frog Leg Festival Thursday night to try all the rides and enjoy the cool weather.
For Luis and Jose, it was the first time they’d challenged the Sizzler – a ride that spins people around in circles as it turns on its axis. By the end of the ride, the brothers were squishing Alicia into the side of the three-person seat.
“It’s my favorite,” Jose said, of the ride, though he hedged and added they hadn’t been on all the rides yet.
Luis said he wanted to try the Bumper Cars, but he was too short.
The brothers had already mastered the Fun Slide and the Strawberry ride.
Other rides to be tackled included the Tornado, the Orbiter, the Fun and Haunted houses, and the Ferris Wheel, to name a few.
They were among a few thousand people to brave the chilly weather. During the Flag Raising Ceremony kicking off the festival at 5:30 p.m., the temperature was a brisk 57 degrees. By 7:30, the temp had plunged to 46 degrees.
Fellsmere City Councilwoman Jessica Salgado crossed one item off her bucket list Thursday evening – taking a ride on a motorcycle.
“I’m nervous and excited at the same time,” the almost-23-year-old Councilwoman said before the ride. She said she had been assured the biker with whom she’d be riding knew what he was doing and she would arrive back safe and sound.
Salgado said she had been told Thursday night was going to be “Bike Night” at the Frog Leg Festival and she made an off-hand comment about having never ridden a motorcycle before.
Sharon Anderson, the entertainment coordinator, said she could arrange it for Salgado – and she did.
Larry Wayne, of the Rebel Rouser’s Band, was Salgado’s driver, riding a 2002 Harley Davidson Road King.
“It’s been all over the U.S.,” Wayne said, adding with pride that it has racked up 170,000 miles.
Salgado was supposed to take a ride out to the Florida Organic Aquaculture facility and then to the Blue Cypress before returning to the festival. The cold weather, however, kept the ride brief.
“That was awesome!” Salgado said climbing off the large, black motorcycle.
Now that she’s ridden on a motorcycle, Salgado might be considering making a purchase in the future.
“I don’t know,” she said with a smile. “We’ll see later.”
As for the new reporter who had frog legs for the first time? That would be VeroNews.com’s newest addition to the team – Lisa Barry, who has moved to Indian River County from Massachusetts but calls Kansas home.
Her first time to the Frog Leg Festival meant her first sampling of frog legs – for her reaction, check out the associated video.
Barry wasn’t the only one to try frog legs for the first time – The Source’s Brenda Sposato sampled both frog and gator dishes.
Per her post on Facebook after the festival: “My first time eating frog legs and gator. Yeah, I think I like the gator best.”
Not so, said Jim Kwiatkowski, who came out to the festival specifically for the frog legs.
“They’re really good this year,” he said, adding he and his wife, Sandy, have been to the festival many times over the years.
“You need an excuse to eat frog legs,” he said.
The seasonal residents are here from New Jersey, and though the weather here is warmer than in New Jersey – “We’re cold!” Sandy said.
They had done a little shopping among the vendor booths before making their way to the food.
“Not now. Not ever!” Sandy said of tasting the frog legs. “I’ll stick with chicken.”
The Frog Leg Festival continues on the grounds of the Old Fellsmere School in downtown Fellsmere Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For more information, check out VeroNews.com’s special section here.