Haha... as it turned out, there were three fireworks displays on Anna Maria Island this July 4th weekend.
As we previously reported here on this forum and on our Anna Maria Island Life blog, there were two fireworks displays planned on Anna Maria Island for the July 4th weekend festivities.
Wishing you and your families a Fun and Safe July 4th Celebration!
The staff here at Anna Maria Island Life would like to wish everyone and their famlies a happy fourth!
If you are on the Island or in the Anna Maria Island area this weekend, there will be 2 fireworks displays for your enjoyment.
There will be a Anna Maria Island fireworks display at the Sandbar and also at the Beach House.
Anna Maria Island 4th of July Parade
Also be sure and attend the annual Anna Maria Island Independence Day Parade.
The Anna Maria Island Privateers annual 4th of July Parade starts at 10 a.m. on the 4th of July at Coquina Beach and travels the entire length of Anna Maria Island (7 miles).
You're welcome to join in and be a part of the parade or just come and watch (bring your chair). There will also be an after Parade gathering at the Cafe on the Beach with music and food specials.
See you all there, and Happy July 4th!
Planning a wedding next year?
If so, remember Anna Maria Island and February 28th, 2010.
That is when the next Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival is going to be held, and it promises to be even better than the previous two.
Anna Maria Island is the fastest growing and most popular wedding destination location in all of Florida, and on February 28th, 2010, from 11 am - 6 pm, over 40 local Anna Maria Island Wedding Merchants will host their third annual, strolling wedding festival.
This 'third annual', Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival is an Anna Maria Island wide, fun and informative day for anyone planning a wedding or thinking about getting married on beautiful Anna Maria Island.
Read about last years Wedding Festival on Anna Maria Island.
It's being reported in the local press that the Island’s Fireworks Task Force is planning to enforce the local fireworks ban at all cost. First, "they plan to send out their July 4 message that fireworks are illegal and will be confiscated from both residents and visitors in a variety of ways."
"Message boards will be parked along roadsides, flyers will be distributed to rental agents and public service announcements will be aired on government television stations. In addition, the information is posted on Island city and county Web sites."
According to Sgt. Dave Turner, of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sandbar plans to hire four off-duty officers to check for alcohol and fireworks’ violations. He said, "illegal fireworks would be confiscated and turned over to the bomb squad."
Let us know what you think about this years fireworks plans for the 4th of July weekend.
Sponsored by the good folks at Anna Maria Island Accommodations. Your one stop vacation rentals and property management authority for all Anna Maria Island, inlcuding Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria City.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is celebrated in the United States on April 22.
It's being reported that local Anna Maria Island officials and Turtle Watch have been preparing for this year's sea turtle protection effort".
As is the case every year around April, endangered sea turtles in the local area waters are expected to begin nesting on the beaches of Anna Maria Island.
In anticipation of this annual ecological event, officials have been looking to the public for help in protecting the turtles as well as with observing this amazing ancient ritual.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, although sea turtles are in fact among the oldest creatures on earth and are believed to have been nesting on beaches for some 110 million years, the journey taken from the sea to the sand and back to the sea again is a perilous one indeed. So perilous for the turtle hatchlings that their ultimate survival is largely in human hands.
Meet "Lefty", The Sea Turtle Hatchling That Got Left Behind and Survived!
The local sea turtles and their hatchlings are at risk from artificial lighting and scavengers. If you want more information about how you can help save the sea turtles, call Turtle Watch at 778-5638. Or read, Making it Safer for Sea Turtles During Their Nesting and Hatching Season to learn more.
Continue reading "Turtle Watch Prepares For Turtle Nesting Season" »
ANNA MARIA ISLAND ART LEAGUE
Several art shows and sales are planned this weekend in addition to opening receptions for artists at local galleries.
This pastel to the right will be among works by Peggy Potter on view at the Anna Maria Island Art League on Friday.
Peggy Potter and Pastel Moments
A reception for "Peggy Potter: Pastel Moments" will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Anna Maria Island Art League, 5312 Holmes Blvd., Holmes Beach. A longtime Island resident, Potter's pastels capture moments in time over the past 30 years.
This exhibit is a retrospective of landscapes, seascapes and portraiture.
The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 19; hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 778-2099 or visit islandartleague.org.
Local Anna Maria Island Wedding Merchants are presenting the 2nd Annual Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Wedding Festival.
If you are already aware of this wedding event, please take note that the original scheduled dates have changed!
When is the Anna Maria Island Wedding Festival?
The next wedding festival being held on Anna Maria Island will be January 25th, from 11 am - 6 pm.
It's being reported that this years Bayfest Festival was a huge success despite the Anna Maria Island bridge closure.
Nice weather, lots of vendors, delicious food and great music all contributed to the success of this years Bayfest event. The festivities and the weather helped to ensure a good turnout of people.
Bayfest Festival a Success in Many Ways
Bayfest 2008, sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Sun, was a huge success in many ways. It brought people out to enjoy the day and it signaled the unofficial start of the festival season.
Those who came out for this years celebrations were treated to music and refreshments into the night, plus food, kids activities, arts and crafts, a classic auto show with an array of beautiful rides and a DJ spinning the oldies.
New this year was a motorcycle show featuring colorful choppers. Bayfest was also a success because it showed how easy it is to get on and off the Island, even with one bridge closed.
Bridging The Gap and This Years Bayfest
The ongoing Bridging the Gap effort to keep people coming to Anna Maria Island while the bridge is closed has meant a lot of new events to the Island these past three weeks. Although Bayfest is an annual Anna Maria Island festival, its success may well be the best indicator of the effect the closing of the Anna Maria Island Bridge has had on the Island’s business community... which is apparently very small.
According to Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce President Mary Ann Brockman, Bayfest 2008 drew a good crowd. She didn't want to guess at the actual size of the crowd, but indicated that if it was down from last year, it wasn’t by much.
"There were a lot of people who came out," she said, "and I don’t think the bridge had anything to do with it."
Record Entries in Car Show
This years Bayfest also had a record number of entries in the vehicle show this year. There were 110 classic, antique and modified cars and trucks ranging from a replica of a 1902 Curved Dash Oldsmobile to a Ford Mustang with a highly modified engine and paint job to support the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure cancer drive.
Anna Maria Island Stage Alive With Music
The stage was alive with music up to 10 p.m. and, despite strong winds and a threat of rain in the early evening hours, many of the various arts and crafts vendors stayed to the end. Brockman said if they agreed to do so in advance, the Chamber would set up lights in their tents.
It's not known yet just how much money was made from this year’s event, but Brockman said several vendors were surprised at the traffic and how their sales went.
"People came out and they spent money," Brockman said. "I’m pleased with the way everything went."
There you have it, this years Bayfest Festival, by all accounts, was a success!
A benefit for Kids and the Anna Maria Island Community, last years car show was a success and this years is going to be even better!
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