FELLSMERE – Fellsmere residents celebrated their city’s 99th birthday with a parade, entertainment, bull and pony riding, and the Little Miss Fellsmere Pageant.
Hundreds lined County Road 512 and Broadway Street in hopes of catching strings of beads and pieces of candy as floats rode down the road. Among those to wow the crowds were the dancers from Our Lady of Guadalupe, who dressed in traditional garb and danced to the beat of a drummer leading the way.
The Azan Shriners, too, dazzled the parade watchers, as they careened about in miniature vehicles poised at any moment to collide with one another.
Others who participated in this year’s parade were the Fellsmere City Council and Police Department, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol, the American Red Cross, Census 2010 volunteers, the Fellsmere Lions Club, Habitat for Humanity, the Indian River Airboat Association, the Florida Division of Forestry and Waste Management, among many others.
“This is just wonderful,” said Maggie Sammons, a member of the Fellsmere Day/Beautification Committee. “Thank gosh we’ve got a little bit of a breeze.”
The weather was warm – in the lowers 80s – with a gentle breeze that cooled off the assembled crowds.
Organizers expected crowds of between 600 and 1,000.
Grand Marshall Fernando Herrera, who is a City Council member, said this year’s crowd was larger than last year’s, even though it is the day before Easter.
“The kids are having fun, and that’s what it’s about,” the councilman said.
Fellsmere Day ended shortly after 3 p.m. with the crowning of Little Miss Fellsmere.
Last year’s winner, Natali Cerda, had the honor of crowning Dahlitze Lynn Reyna.
Each of the contestants were asked what they like about Fellsmere and why they think they should be named Little Miss Fellsmere.
Dahlitze won over the crowd by saying in a nearly whispered voice she loves Fellsmere because she can play everyday.
She said she should be Little Miss Fellsmere “because I love this town.”
