Independence Day Celebration - Fort Benning 2019

I worked our annual Independence Day Celebration last weekend.  I always have a blast even though it's an exhausting day!

I got these great Magellan brand shorts from Academy, they are really light and dry real quick!  I also found these great Sketchers sandals on amazon.  I have been trying to find a good price on a pair of Chaco's but I couldn't find a pair I liked at a price I was willing to pay.  These are GREAT sandals.  I wore them from 9am to 11pm Saturday and my feet didn't hurt at all the next morning.  My quads were another story!!

Early in the morning while the stage was still being set up.

 

 My morning shift from 9-2 was helping set up the Freedom Club tent. 

By 1245 I'd already walked 3 miles!

At 2 I transitioned to helping the food and beverage manager as a "backstage ice runner".  My job was to make sure each of the three artist's rooms had ice and they didn't need anything.

I changed into my event shirt and away I went!

I bought this runners belt for like $16 bucks on amazon.  It had two zippered pouches.  I kept my phone, debit and ID card and my tokens for food in it.  This is also how I counted my steps with my phone sitting right on my lower back.

Two of Lady Antebellum's tour buses!!!

Me and my trusty cart doing our every 30 minutes lap!

It's 4pm and we are ready to kick off Independence Day 2019!!! 'merica

330 and up to 5 miles!

Seriously my feet were DIRTY after walking around in that grass all day!  But comfortable shoes!!!!

Corn is usually not allowed on my diet but I LOVE this vendor's roasted corn.  I figured I had already walked 5 miles at that point so I totally YOLO'd.

Ohana stopped by and came and saw me inside where I was working.  The older girl was complaining that her feet hurt and she had blisters.  Asked her if she was wearing socks and of course not because that wouldn't be cute with those shoes!  I had brought a pair of sneakers should I need to change out of my sketchers and a pair of my favorite no shoe socks.  I went and gave her my socks and all was right in her world!

The trainee's meeting Bailey Bryan, one of our artists for the night.

LADY ANTEBELLUM!!!!!

Just like last year I had an awesome view!!!

One of the dancers was also at the concert so we snagged a picture together.  She was on one side of the fence and me on the other.

My view for most of the concert.

Fort Benning doesn't mess around with fireworks.  We put on a 25 minute show!!!

Y'all TEN FREAKIN miles I walked on saturday!!!

Fort Benning Octoberfest 2018

Fort Benning held their annual Oktoberfest celebration this past weekend!  This year I worked 2 days of the event.  It's always fun interacting with the customers and seeing the smiles on their faces!  I was there early on friday afternoon before it opened, so these pictures are before the crowds started!

 The "fest" tent.  HUGE!

 Our marketing team did a wonderful job of decorating the venue!

 The stage always had someone playing on it.  We even had some authentic from Germany yodelers!

 We have a great wood working maintenance team and they made these years ago and we keep using them and have added more houses through out the years.

 We had lots of options for seating.

 Time for me to get to work.  I was the handicap shuttle driver for about 4 hours on friday night.

 

 Then they gave me a walkie and I was totally "in charge".

Saturday:

This is the day we decided to take our family to enjoy the festivities.  When we left the house it was just barely sprinkling.  It was full on pouring when we arrived at the venue.  My feet were soaked by the time we got home!!

 Tim stayed inside the fest tent most of the time we were there, holding down our seats and listening to the music.

The kids doing the chicken dance.

  This was inside the Uchee Creek activity center.  The children's area was set up inside.  Everything that is inside here and just outside was FREE!  Games, arts and crafts, petting zoo, "pumpkin patch", they even had a candy apple making station.

 Cale coloring a bag provided by the Library.

 Games, face painting, wacky hair station, arts and crafts, and temporary tattoos are shown here.

 Cute picture opportunity.

 Outside we had a "pumpkin patch", corn maze, carnival games and petting zoo.

 More seating and food vendors.

 Cale wearing a cute hat from one of the vendors.

 Even though it had rained earlier it was still packed!!

 Because there is no A/C in Tim's retirement present he didn't get to drive it a lot this summer.  So he wanted to break it out of the garage Saturday.

 Kennedie enjoying the ride.

Sunday:

 Not many pictures this day because I was tasked to be a beer server.  This was my first time serving Alcohol and I actually enjoyed it!

As we were taking down all the displays I decided to take one last picture!!

If you are ever in the Fort Benning area this is a great festival to visit!!