Festival continues today at Veterans Park

Uptown Group will be performing during the 35th annual Lehigh Acres Spring Festival.
Lehigh’s own Kaylee Coyle kicked off the 35th annual Lehigh Acres Spring Festival Friday night with the singing of the National Anthem. You’ll see more of Coyle during the week when she takes to the stage and sings to large audiences.
She was followed by the Veterans Park Academy for the arts Chorus and then the first night of the two Spring Idol Contests.
It all started at 6 p.m. at Veterans Park on Homestead Rd. It will cost you a couple of bucks to get into the park for parking and the Lehigh Acres Soccer
League will direct you to a parking spot.
They are getting half of the parking fees for league equipment, said Ernie Hartman, the Festival’s president.

Tom Grobe, of Southwest Florida, will perform at the Fetsival.
As for the Festival, it’s free, no admittance, nothing zilch, Hartman said.
‘We’re going to have a great Festival this year. We start off with a concert on Saturday night with Jeff Bates, a well-known country music singer and each
night of the Festival from March 20 to March 28 will be filled with all types of events and plenty of entertainment. And we will have the same great midway we had before.“
All the entertainment is being paid for by sponsors of the Festival, mainly business firms that have given money to make it all possible. Visitors will pay for rides in the Midway and the foods they buy there or at other vendors.
Singer Kaylee Coyle moved to Southwest Florida in 1999 wit her family to make her mark on the music industry when she was only nine years old. She has recorded in both Nashville and locally in Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres. She was also the lead singer in a local rock country variety band. She has opened for The Bellamy Brothers, Billy Joe Royal, B.J. Thomas, Julie Roberts, Vonzel Solomon, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum who was here last year. She will perform during this year’s event, too.

Tom Grobe
Festivities continue Saturday at noon with the pet show held at the pavilion at the back of the park on the pond. Kaylee will sing at 3 p.m. on Sunday and
there will be local bands performing at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Jeff Bates, country music recording star will perform in concert at 8 p.m. There will be bleachers and seats set up. Some people bring lawn chairs because of the large crowds, Hartman said. He said Gator Country 101.9FM is a major sponsor of the Festival, helping to bring top talent to the event. Lehigh Regional Medical Center is sponsoring the opening concert on Saturday night.
He said there are “one price sessions” for the rides in the midway on certain days. Check at the ticket booths for more information.
Also during the week, local singing star Tom Grobe will performon the Festival stage.

Jeff Bates will be in concert at the Lehigh Spring Festival on Saturday night. The concert is free but there is a small charge for parking as you enter Veterans Park.
Then on Sunday, there’s a baby and toddler pageant, a bubble gum blowing contests and more. A Little Miss Spring Festival and Prince will be crowned as
will a Miss Spring Festival, a local teenager.
There is an activities tent near the stage this year where the many contests will be held such as the Best Chili in Lehigh and deserts, fine arts and other
competitions.
For a full list of activities, see the special insert in today’s Lehigh Acres Citizen. It contains a full list of events from the beginning night to the final day of March 28 when the grand parade will be held.
- Tom Grobe, of Southwest Florida, will perform at the Fetsival.
- Tom Grobe
- Jeff Bates will be in concert at the Lehigh Spring Festival on Saturday night. The concert is free but there is a small charge for parking as you enter Veterans Park.