Frank Mezzatesta was raising money for ex-POWs outside a local grocery store when three teenagers stopped and asked him whether "POW" stood for "People Out of Work." Mezzatesta was a former prisoner of war himself, and that question started the monument that became Veterans Memorial Park at Spanish Springs.
The park was dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1998. It has hosted a service every Nov. 11 since, and it matters more this year because the biggest Veterans Day party in The Villages won't happen.
The Brownwood Feast Is Off for 2026
For more than a decade, Parady Financial hosted a November veterans celebration at Brownwood Paddock Square, with food, entertainment and strong support for Villages Honor Flight. In September, Villages-News reported that the event won't be held this November. Villages-News quoted Parady's newsletter, which said skipping the event "is a decision made by the owners of The Villages" and that company officials "are certainly disappointed." The same newsletter added, "We understand that business decision are made by the Developer – in light of their success over the past 30+ years we respect their choices and decisions."
No replacement event has been announced. That leaves a week of smaller gatherings spread over eight days and more than a dozen locations. Two of them come from groups that residents built themselves: the committee behind Veterans Memorial Park and Villages Honor Flight. The developer's official schedule fills in around them.
Why the Park Holds the Week Together
Veterans Memorial Park sits just off Main Street at Paige Place and Lake Miramar, between La Hacienda Regional Recreation Complex and Spanish Springs Town Square. Villages-News has described its granite monument as weighing about 27,000 pounds.
A committee of veterans and patriotic organizations raised the money, working with the Schwartz/Morse family, who donated the grounds and the architectural design, and the Village Foundation, which ran the fundraising. The committee added its own Honor Guard in 2003, and it runs a school outreach program to teach students about military service.
Three things set the Nov. 11 service apart from the rest of the week:
- The bricks. The committee sells memorial bricks all year and dedicates them during the Veterans Day service, so the morning doubles as a brick dedication.
- The flags. The park committee's handout lists American Legion Post 347, Villages Honor Flight, Disabled American Veterans and Vietnam Veterans of America among the groups that carry unit flags.
- The calendar. Veterans Day is one of 11 services the committee holds each year, including Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans on March 29, POW/MIA Recognition Day on Sept. 20 and Pearl Harbor Day on Dec. 7.
The developer's Veterans Day schedule lists the service at 11 a.m. Villages Honor Flight's veterans events page lists it at 10 a.m. Plan around the earlier time and check before you leave.
Honor Flight Carries the Rest of the Week
The Brownwood feast was a major show of support for Villages Honor Flight, so the organization's own events are the closest thing this year has to a direct line from the old gathering.
Honor Flight's 2026 schedule ends its season of Washington, D.C. missions with flights on Sept. 30 and Oct. 28, each listed for 67 veterans and 67 guardians. Its calendar ties the Oct. 28 mission to American Legion Post 347 at 699 W Lady Lake Blvd. in Lady Lake.
The November fundraiser to put on your calendar is the golf cart parade. The registration page lists it for Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Suggested donations scale with your cart:
| Cart size | Suggested donation |
|---|---|
| 2-seater | $10 |
| 4-seater | $20 |
| 6-seater | $30 |
The form offers 11 starting points, from Tierra del Sol down to the Everglades and Fenney recreation centers, so most residents can join from a rec center near home. The page says 100% of each registration donation goes to Villages Honor Flight.
Honor Flight's fundraisers page also lists a Veteran Softball event for Nov. 5 and a Veterans Bash for Nov. 12. Times and locations for both are posted on that page, so check there before you plan around them.
The Week, Day by Day
The developer's schedule and the community events fit together without much overlap, apart from a busy Sunday.
Thursday, Nov. 5
Villages Honor Flight's Veteran Softball fundraiser, per the organization's fundraisers page.
Sunday, Nov. 8
Two events run the same day. The Veterans Softball Tournament plays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Soaring Eagle Softball Complex, with a moment of reflection and a tribute built into the games. The Honor Flight cart parade runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you want both, the parade's spread-out starting points make it easier to fit in around a few innings.
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Veterans Day has the fullest schedule:
- Morning: Veterans Day service at Veterans Memorial Park at Spanish Springs. Confirm whether it starts at 10 or 11 a.m.
- 1 p.m. to sunset: The Veterans Day boat cruise on the Lake Sumter Line, which leaves from the Lake Sumter Line Dock.
- 5 p.m.: A tribute at every town square, with the National Anthem and each branch's service song.
- 5:30 to 7 p.m.: American Legion Veterans Memorial Post 347's general meeting in its hall, with new-member induction, post business and social time.
- 7 p.m.: The Veterans Day Concert at The Tracy Performing Arts Center, featuring the Heart of Florida Choir, the Barbershop Choir, and The Villages High School choir and band.
On Nov. 11 only, veterans get 25% off select ticketed shows at The Savannah Center and The Tracy. Choose "Veteran" when you buy online, or ask at the box office.
The 5 p.m. tribute happens at every square, so you don't need to drive across The Villages to be part of it. If you're coming off the afternoon cruise, Lake Sumter Landing is the natural place to stay for it.
Thursday, Nov. 12
The developer is screening Memphis Belle, the 1990 World War II drama about a 10-man bomber crew, at 5 p.m. at Farragut Softball Complex. Registration is required and opens Oct. 29 through DistrictGov.org or at any At Your Service center. The Villages Honor Flight Veterans Bash is also listed for this date on the organization's fundraisers page.
If You Want to Do More Than Attend
Two lasting ways to take part come out of this week.
A memorial brick at Veterans Memorial Park can be bought any time of year, and the committee dedicates new bricks at each Nov. 11 service. The park committee's handout gives the community development district office number, 352-753-4508, for brick information. That office can tell you which Nov. 11 dedication a new order will make.
Villages Honor Flight runs on registrations like the cart parade's, and its missions pair each veteran with a guardian. Its flight schedule is the place to watch for 2027 dates.
After Veterans Day, the next big night is Light Up The Villages on Dec. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m., with a tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. at every town square.
Amanda Fincher has called The Villages home for more than 20 years, and Veterans Day is one of the traditions that make this community what it is. If your plans for the week turn into questions about your own home, whether that's downsizing, a villa closer to Spanish Springs or what your home is worth today, Amanda Fincher is happy to talk it through. Get Your Free Home Valuation whenever the timing feels right.
