Free community event to highlight services for veterans | Plus entertainment, food trucks & more
With Veterans Day right around the corner, members of the community have the opportunity to pay homage to those who served or are currently serving this Saturday.
The Cape Coral Museum of History and Incredible Bank are teaming up to create an event that will honor and celebrate those who are currently serving in the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families with a festival to be held in Cultural Park on Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The first-ever “Salute to Service and Sacrifice” is a free event that will showcase many of the veteran support organizations within Cape Coral, as part of a full day of patriotic entertainment, food trucks, and a vendor village on site. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the day.
“The Cape Coral Museum of History is about our city’s history and the history of our area,” said museum Vice President and organizer or the event, Linda Biondi. “We have a few veterans organizations that have history in our city and our county. For Example, the American Legion Post 90 has been in Cape Coral since the ’60s, so has the VFW since the ’60s. This is a big part of our City’s history and so we began researching.”
The event will have more than a dozen veteran organizations represented and booths where people can stop by and get information about what they do.
Participating Veteran Organizations include: Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 594, Gold Star Families, Collier Lee Honor Flight, Holiday for Heroes, American Legion Post 90, Purple Heart Chapter 696, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 9-10, Brotherhood of Heroes Resource Center and Museum, DAV – Disabled American Veterans, Blue Star Families, Korean War Vets, Florida Military Vehicle Heritage, Hearts & Homes for Veterans, Cape Coral Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, and VFW District 13.
“The groups were asked to bring a display to have at the museum for the month of November to celebrate Veterans Day,” Biondi said.
Salute to Service and Sacrifice will begin with an opening ceremony with the Cape Coral police and fire departments’ Honor Guards presenting colors. The National Anthem will be sung by Isabella Clarke. There will be a performance by Guns N’ Hoses, and Cape Coral Mayor Gunter will present a proclamation. The Mariner High School JROTC will put on a rifle demonstration. Other entertainment will include the Calendar Girls, and music by Robert Gonnelli and friends, titled “A Moment in Time.”
“The Cape Coral Museum of History is all about our history and that includes our veterans,” Biondi said. “We are a Purple Heart City, and that group will be there, too. The Gold Star Families, Blue Star Families, and many other veteran groups will also be in attendance to join us.”
Along with food trucks and a vendor village on-site, as an added bonus, the museum will be open to tour for free during the event. Attendees can grab a scavenger hunt sheet at the museum’s booth and enter to win a prize basket.
“I sincerely hope that our residents will come out on what is supposed to be a beautiful fall day, to enjoy the festival, and thank all of our veterans and their organizations for all that they’ve done and continue to do for us,” Biondi said.
For performance times and for more event information, or for information on becoming a vendor, visit capecoralmuseum.org.
Cultural Park is at 528 Cultural Park Blvd.
The Cape Coral Museum of History is at 544 Cultural Park Blvd.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com