BRADENTON BEACH – The “Light Up Bradenton Beach” Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will take place Saturday, Nov. 20 in the Bradenton Beach Post Office parking lot.
Organized by participating Bradenton Beach merchants and restaurateurs, Mayor John Chappie and Police Chief John Cosby, the annual tree-lighting ceremony will feature a 32-foot Christmas tree.
The “Light Up Bradenton Beach” festivities will begin that day at 3 p.m. with Santa and Mrs. Claus arriving on Bridge Street aboard their special golf cart. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their way to the holiday Kid Zone at Island Time Bar & Grill, which will feature face painting and other kid-friendly activities. Santa and Mrs. Claus will then head to the historic clock tower to accept Christmas wish lists and pose for holiday photos.
At dusk, the holiday fun will shift to the post office parking lot at 116 Bridge St., where The Magic of Manatee – the Bradenton chapter of the international women’s choral group, The Sweet Adelines – will lead the crowd in Christmas carols beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m., followed by more singing and then a special outdoor screening of “A Christmas Story” from 7 to 9 p.m., with the exterior wall of the Sports Lounge serving as the movie screen. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for the movie screening.
Popcorn, hot chocolate and other treats – including the adult variety – will be available for purchase at the nearby businesses before, during and after the movie.
Christmas on Bridge Street
The tree-lighting ceremony will mark the beginning of the six-week Holidays in Paradise festivities that will continue through New Year’s Day and take place amidst the city of Bradenton Beach’s largest-ever holiday decoration and lighting display.
The annual Christmas on Bridge Street celebration and the coinciding Bradenton Beach Holiday Lighted Boat Parade will both take place on Saturday, Dec. 4.
Beginning at 3 p.m., Christmas on Bridge Street will again feature a Kid Zone that includes face painting and the creation of holiday crafts. The Anna Maria Island Privateers will provide photo opportunities with Santa and his sleigh in the post office parking lot, near the Christmas tree. The acclaimed Dickens Carolers – a professional company of actors and singers in period costumes – will tell stories and sing seasonal songs.
Island troubadour Mike Sales will perform on the Bridge Street Pier before the boat parade.
Featuring food and drink specials, gift certificate sales, “chair-ity massage” and more, nearby retailers and restaurants will host a holiday walkabout that evening.
There will also be a Holiday Swagger photo contest and a grand prize drawing that benefits Turning Points, a local non-profit organization that assists homeless families in Manatee County.
Holiday Boat Parade
Organized by Bradenton Beach Marina owner Mike Bazzy, the third annual Bradenton Beach Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, taking place Saturday, Dec. 4, will begin at 6 p.m., with participating vessels gathering ahead of time near the south end of Jewfish Key.
The boat parade will travel northwest along the Longboat Pass Bridge and then head north up the Intracoastal Waterway, passing by the Bridge Street Pier and ending at the marina. The boat parade can be viewed from the Longboat Pass Bridge from about 6-6:30 p.m. and from the Bridge Street Pier from about 6:30-7 p.m.
The boat parade is open to powerboats and sailboats and entry is free. The best-decorated boat will earn a $200 cash prize.
Entry forms and additional information can be found at the boat parade website, www.boat-parade.com, or by calling the Bradenton Beach Marina at 941-778-2288.
Those who don’t have a boat of their own can participate in the boat parade as passengers aboard the marina’s “Anna Maria Princess” paddle wheeler. Tickets can be purchased at the boat parade website and the proceeds will be donated to fighting children’s cancer.
The Sun is a media sponsor of the Holidays in Paradise events.
For more information on the Holidays in Paradise events, activities, contests, parking and more, please visit www.lovebradentonbeach.com or call 941-896-2222.
