By Dave DeAngelis
Wow, time flies. It seems like just 249 years ago when there were rumblings about a Declaration of Independence. And here we already are, 250 years later, celebrating that day when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. Time to celebrate!
This year’s Patriotic Celebration is on Saturday, July 4. Go figure. Rain or shine at The Town Square at Circle Square Commons from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., with the gates opening at 4 p.m. Activities? Well, this year’s event is action-packed. The joint will be jumpin’!
The event kicks off with the opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m. featuring the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard and a performance by award-winning, multi-platinum-selling smooth jazz saxophonist Eirinn Abu. From there, you’re gonna have sensory overload with all that will be going on around you (picture Inspector Dreyfus’s eye in The Pink Panther Strikes Again). We’re talking skydiving at 4:45 p.m. by the On Point Demo Team, a pie-eating contest, stilt walkers, and games such as cornhole and Connect Four. Oh, and there’s the dunk tank. Who knows who the dunkees might be?
A bloodmobile is scheduled to be there, so maybe it would be wise to donate before hitting the beer, wine, and soda kiosk or enjoying the delicacies from Squeezy Lemonade, Monsta Lobsta, Big Lee’s, Blessed Beyond BBQ, Curbside Cuisine, Fat Tiki, and Secret Kitchen Latin Fusion. And we’ll have a food tent to accommodate dining. Don’t forget to capture your fun at the photo kiosk.
Live music? It’ll take two stages for our bands – “Rocky and the Rollers have performed with and played for over 250 of the many great recording artists of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s like Chuck Berry, Fabian, The Drifters, Bo Diddley, The Shirelles, Lou Christie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Peter Noone, Danny & the Juniors, Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Freddy “boom Boom” Cannon, Little Peggy March, and Del Shannon.”
“Hayfire is a Florida-based country band with a rich history of performing alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. With almost a century of combined experience in the entertainment industry, Hayfire is the hottest country band in Florida, winning Orlando Weekly’s “Best Of” series, six years running, in the category of “Best Cover Band” as voted by the fans.”
And Live Effect, the dynamic vocal band from Orlando, is the evening’s headliner. Check out their demo video, and you’ll see that their name is spot-on. They certainly do have a captivating stage presence. Yep, at around 7:30 p.m., there will be a 50/50 raffle benefiting American Legion Post 354 – Ocala. Fireworks? Oh yeah, from 9 to 9:30 p.m.
See you on Saturday, July 4, at The Town Square at Circle Square Commons. Parking is free for On Top of the World, Stone Creek and Calesa Township residents with valid resident ID or event pass. There is a $20 fee for public parking. Bring your own lawn chairs, appetite, and dancing shoes.
For more information about all upcoming events, visit Circle Square Commons on Facebook (@csctownsquare), Instagram (@cscommonsfl), or their website at CircleSquareCommons.com.