record setting Hibiscus Festival in downtown Vero Beach

The recently completed 2009 Hibiscus Festival was one for the record books. The primary event was held in downtown Vero Beach on Saturday, April 18 (actually, the Hibiscus Queen Pageant on Friday, April 17 is part of the Festival but takes place exclusively inside the Heritage Center). Attendance on Saturday for all activities from the 5K race at 7am to the 60s Street Party from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening, is estimated at 15,000 people. That makes it by far the largest gathering of people in downtown Vero EVER. The Beatles Remembered tribute band, which dressed like the Beatles, played the exact instruments played by the Beatles and sounded like the Beatles, sent a crowd of 5,000 (verified based on the $2.00 admission) into psychedelic orbit. Although they didn’t play any songs from the Sgt. Pepper era, the promise from one such song – "a good time is guaranteed for all" – was certainly fulfilled.