Clad in a Gators shirt and following a half step behind his mother, 3-year-old Isaac Searcy babbled in his tiny toddler way about his favorite football team.
Searcy and his family, alongside about 3,000 UF students, Gainesville residents and Gators fans, attended United Downtown to enjoy the community atmosphere and celebrate the home team in the streets of downtown Gainesville.
The free, family-friendly event, hosted by United Way of North Central Florida, was the kickoff event for the 2012 football season. The organization is continuing the event after a successful run last year.
There are three more of the events scheduled throughout the remainder of the season. The events will happen the Fridays before the Gators play Kentucky, Louisiana State University and South Carolina.
The event brought together groups from alumni to baby Gators. Elderly couples in orange and blue strode together hand in hand as toddlers waited eagerly for custom-made balloon hats.
“We’ve been to these festivals about six times beforehand,” said Jennison Searcy, 37, Issac’s mother. “I feel like I always run into my friends and families of his friends from school. It’s a great community event.”
About 50 vendors came out for Friday night’s festival, said Debbie Mason, president and CEO of the United Way of North Central Florida. Food trucks lined the end of the festival alongside restaurants, and attendees milled in and out of stores throughout the evening.
“It’s great for families,” Mason said. “But if you don’t have kids, you can still go buy a beer, sit on the plaza and listen to music.”
Live tunes on Bo Diddley Community Plaza entertained an audience on the lawn. Couples danced near Hula-Hooping children. Community vendors sold UF-inspired apparel and jewelry, drawing in Gators fans. Area artists painted fresh canvases on the street, showcasing their work.
At the end of the street stood a giant Gator-head bounce house to fascinate young Florida fans. Its jaws snapped shut, chomping down as kids jumped as high as their little legs could take them.
For Isaac and his family, the event was a way to celebrate The Gator Nation, and they said they plan to keep coming to the events.
“I came here because it was a Gator night,” Isaac said, staring at the bounce house.
