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<\/a>Country music star JT Hodges, who is a semi-finalist for the New Artist of the Year award with the Academy of Country Music, will be in Lehigh Acres as the Lehigh Spring’s Festival’s main attraction.<\/p>\n
The award will be announced on April 1, a few weeks after Hodges’ appearance in Lehigh Acres.<\/p>\n
The festival will run from March 16 through March 24.<\/p>\n
Hodges, known for his hit debut single, “Hunt You Down,” has been one of the most talked about songs to hit the country radio airwaves for a few months now.<\/p>\n
Debbie Jackson, a member of the Spring Festival Committee, which puts on the annual festival said Hodges will be performing on the night of March 17 on the giant-sized outdoors stage at Veterans Park.<\/p>\n
In the past, the festival has brought Lehigh audiences such performers as Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum and Brett Eldridge, all famous music artists.<\/p>\n
Jackson said the committee members were proud to have yet another outstanding country music performer gracing their stage.<\/p>\n
The upcoming Lehigh Acres Spring Festival will be celebrating its 38th annual event and this year’s theme, according to Jackson, a member of the steering committee, is a “Party in Paradise.”<\/p>\n
She said the tropical theme has the festival board of directors thinking about tiki huts, palm trees and maybe even a roasted pig with a big apple in his mouth for the luau.<\/p>\n
A small group of volunteers has been working on the upcoming festival for the past few months and like any other major event, Jackson noted that it takes plenty of time, effort and money to make it all come tightly together.<\/p>\n
Local organizations and businesses in the area may help support the committee putting on the Spring Festival by becoming a sponsor or a volunteer. To do so, you can call Danny Stephenson at 239-368-7771.<\/p>\n
“He’ll get you plugged in,” Jackson laughed.<\/p>\n
As in previous years, the festival will start on a Friday night and run through the following Saturday, some eight days. A final parade is planned on the last Saturday of the week-long festival.<\/p>\n
Andy Reisinger is the chairman of this year’s festival and is also serving as he has done for years, chairman of the parade. He’s the one you should get in touch with if you would like to enter the Saturday parade, which is one of the largest parades in Southwest Florida and draws thousands of spectators down Homestead Road.<\/p>\n
The festival itself takes place at Veterans Park on Homestead Road. There is a midway with rides and this year members of the Spring Festival committee say you can save money on your carnival tickets by purchasing a sheet of tickets for $10 for 14 tickets of $60 for a wristband that will be good for the entire week-long event.<\/p>\n
Jackson said this offer is only good before the festival begins. You can contact Cheryl Dutka at 239-357-6987 or Joe Maden at 239-590-5914 to purchase your tickets.<\/p>\n
“When you bring the kids to the festival, they love to ride over and over on some of the amusements, so this is a good bargain,” Jackson said.<\/p>\n
As in the past, there will be the ever-popular Spring Festival Idol contest.<\/p>\n