The Villages’ Media
Villagers can watch highlights of the many sporting events in their community on the Villages television station, VNN. VNN stands for Villages News Network, and it’s not to be confused with CNN—not that it ever would be. On VNN, Villagers get daily updates on life and activities in The Villages and surrounding area. There are features on Villages residents, information about clubs and facilities, public service announcements, and so on.
There’s a Villages newspaper, The Villages Daily Sun, which provides limited news and has received some criticism because, like VNN, it is owned by the developer of The Villages.
There’s also a developer-owned Villages radio station whose focus is largely similar to VNN’s. There are some differences, though. I recall hearing repeated references on WVLG Radio to the day in progress being a “wonderful day in The Villages,” or something of that sort. I also heard a lot of oldies music on WVLG.
Villages Town Squares
If you want to be where the action is, visit one of the Villages “town squares” at night … well, at least in the evening. It can be dangerous to drive a golf cart after dark, so town square activities tend to end early.
But until the festivities are over, you’re likely to hear a lot of music that takes you back a few decades. Elvis is still king in The Villages, and there seems to be a band or two playing oldies music almost every late afternoon and early evening in the Villages town squares. And what are those Villages town squares? As the name suggests, they’re public areas … places for people to get together in some of the busier parts of The Villages. The squares provide a park-like atmosphere, and one of them faces a man-made lake. The commercial areas near the town squares provide a quaint, old-time atmosphere complete with architecture reminiscent of old Hollywood facades. But as you look over the crowds milling about in the town squares or the people line dancing to oldies, it becomes apparent that most Villagers don’t seem to mind.