FELLSMERE — Though clouds threatened overhead and a strong breeze cut through long-sleeved shirts and light jackets, crowds spilled into the grounds of the Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival waiting to get their fill of the amphibian delicacy.
Before the festival was even officially underway, more than 50 people stood in line at the dinner ticket booth, anxiously awaiting sales to get started.
“You got here before we ran out!” quipped long-time Frog Leg kitchen organizer and cook Fran Adams.
Frank Miceli was the first in line, hungry for the combo dinner.
“Hurry up! I’m hungry!” he said, joking to the kitchen staff as he waited for them to pass his container through the window of the Old Fellsmere School.
Miceli and his wife, Rosella, recently relocated to Sebastian from North Carolina after having spent a few decades in Boynton Beach.
This was their first Frog Leg Festival, but not their first experience eating frog legs.
“It’s fabulous,” Rosella said.
“Definitely,” her husband agreed without looking up from his dish.
“The gator is even better,” Rosella added.
Frank Miceli said he and his wife, who just celebrated 51 years of marriage, are quite adventurous. “We try everything,” he said.
The Micelis, while living in North Carolina, often ate a Chinese restaurant that serves frog legs on the buffet – those legs didn’t stand a chance next to Fellsmere’s, they said.
“These are better,” Rosella said. “They’re much more fresh.”
With them was their friend Suzy Krchmar, of central Michigan, who wasn’t so adventurous. Instead of the frog or gator, Krchmar opted for a huge, juicy turkey leg.
Other festival fare included chicken and shrimp on their respective sticks, hamburgers and hotdogs – with or without peppers and onions, fries, funnel cakes, smoothies, cotton candy, roasted ears of corn, and much more.
Those more interested in partaking in thrills got more than their fair share at the Midway, with plenty of rides that spun, shook and otherwise would give some heart palpitations. For the little ones, a few milder rides similar to merry-go-rounds were available, provided they are tall enough.
“That brought back my childhood,” said Judi Summers, who with a pair of friends took a spin on the Carousel.
The Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival continues through the weekend. Parking and admission are free – rides are $1 per ticket, and food varies from booth to booth.
There are numerous vendors on the grounds selling their own wares, ranging from local honey and bonsai plants to make-it-yourself lamps and other home décor as well as several clothing and jewelry stands.
There is a free bus shuttle from MESA Park, located on the east end of town on County Road 512, just west of Interstate 95, which will operate on the weekend. Parking can be found along side streets, Broadway, and the municipal parking lot located at the corner of N. Orange Street and Colorado Avenue.
Check out our 2015 Fellsmere Frog Leg Festival GUIDE for more information about the event.
