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'American Idol' to rock the crowd at Armed Forces Appreciation Day Saturday (with SCHEDULE)
FORT WALTON BEACH — Armed Forces Appreciation Day, hosted by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the C.H. “Bull” Rigdon Fairgrounds and Recreation Complex.
The event will feature live music, appearances by war heroes profiled in an HBO miniseries, and a cultural village. It is open to the public.
Click here for a detailed schedule of the day's events »
Saturday will mark the chamber’s first military appreciation day in seven years.
The chamber organized its first Armed Forces Appreciation Day in 2001. The event was held a couple of months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and drew a crowd of more than 10,000. A follow-up event was held two years later.
The entertainment this year will feature performances by “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks and finalist Kimberly Locke. The Beatles tribute band 1964 and the U.S. Air Force Reserve Band’s Full Spectrum Jazz Ensemble will also perform.
The Jazz Ensemble will perform at 2 p.m.; 1964 at 4 p.m.; Locke at 6 p.m.; and Hicks at 8 p.m.
A children’s area will feature inflatable obstacle courses and water slides.
Armed Forces Appreciation Day also is a tribute to the area’s diversity. A cultural village will include food, crafts and entertainment from Native American, African, Asian, Hispanic, Caribbean and German cultures.
The chamber also has organized the Hall of Heroes for the event. It will feature seven soldiers included in the recent HBO miniseries “The Pacific;” five from the 2001 miniseries “Band of Brothers” and five local heroes. All the retired troops in the Hall of Heroes will be on hand to meet with residents, sign autographs and pose for photographs.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Armed Forces Appreciation Day.
WHEN: Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
WHERE: C.H. “Bull” Rigdon Fairgrounds and Recreation Complex.
MILITARY COST: Free to all active, reserve and retired military and a guest.
GENERAL PUBLIC: $5 in advance at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, all Eglin Federal Credit Union branches and Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, or $10 on the day of the event. Admission is free for visitors 18 and younger.
