LAKE MARY, Florida. – The magic of Lake Mary is one you can’t miss, and you definitely won’t want to miss the one-of-a-kind celebration the town has in store for the team that just won the Little League World Series.
As you drive downtown on Lake Mary Boulevard, you can see a banner congratulating the world champions.
It seems like everywhere you go you can feel the excitement for the home team.
“It’s just incredible,” Kelsey Tricoli told News 6. “These guys have put in so much work at such a young age and now this foundation will be with them forever.”
(MEET THE TEAM: Lake Mary All Stars)
“I’ve lived in Oviedo and Lake Mary my whole life,” said Carrie Alderman. “I know a lot of them. So it was super exciting.”
You can cheer on the champions starting Thursday at Walt Disney World, where there will be a parade in the Magic Kingdom.
PR manager Joe Kepner spoke to News 6 reporter Catherine Silver about their plans.
“They’ll be riding the entire parade route that everyone else rides,” Kepner said. “So they’ll start next to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and go past Frontierland, past the castle and down Main Street USA. They’ll get the full experience.”
Kepner says Walt Disney World is excited to give the team this opportunity.
“I can tell you, as soon as word got out that we were planning a parade for the Lake Mary Little League team, staff from every team at Walt Disney World were texting me, emailing me and calling me and asking, ‘How can we get involved? How can we make this extra special for these kids?'” Kepner said. “We have a whole day of activities planned for them. A few little surprises to make the celebration even more magical.”
Kepner says there are performers from all over Central Florida and around the world ready to celebrate their hometown team and that they will receive the same treatment as the pros.
“What an incredible opportunity for these kids who probably saw Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes say the same thing, and now they can come here to Walt Disney World and celebrate,” Kepner said. “Just be there at 1:30 p.m. and be ready to watch with a Disney snack in hand.”
On Saturday, August 31, the City of Lake Mary is planning a parade and party for the boys.
News 6 has been following the planning process since it was first announced. After the Lake Mary Little League team defeated Chinese Taipei in overtime to win the LLWS on Sunday, the city’s plans got even bigger.
“The kids will get recognition, but they’ll also get to ride in open-top Corvettes and, I hear, monster trucks. We’ll also have mascots from theme parks and major sports organizations from all over Central Florida,” said Bryan Nipe, director of Parks and Recreation.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. on Country Club Road near Lake Mary Avenue. The procession, which includes police vehicles, elected officials, a marching band, local professional team mascots, former Major League Baseball players and the World Champion team, will head south toward Crystal Lake Avenue. The route will take them west toward 4th Street.
Immediately following the parade there is a short ceremony and a street party.
There will be longer road closures, officials said.
The city recommends the following parking areas:
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SunRail Station, 2200 West Lake Mary Blvd.
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Lake Mary Elementary School
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Property Seminole Ave & 5th Street
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101 North Country Club Road Lot
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Lake Mary Community Center property, 140 East Wilbur Ave
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Designated on-street parking throughout the city center
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