ANNA MARIA ISLAND – With less than a week until the busy Memorial Day weekend, the Island is bracing for the good and the frustration that comes with major holidays. This year’s busy spring break season broke records and tourism officials expect nothing less for Memorial Day.
Regardless of how many people flock to the white sand beaches of AMI, with a little planning, it’s not difficult for both locals and visitors to enjoy the holiday with minimal stress.
Many local business owners and employees rely on busy holiday weekends to boost business. For locals, officials in all three Island cities say patience is the best stress reducer.
“My wife and I have a condo here in Holmes Beach, and we know what’s coming on weekends like Memorial Day and July Fourth,” Aaron Blessing said. “You just learn to not go certain places at certain times. Traffic is usually backed up in one direction or the other depending on the time of day; just go the opposite direction. We live in paradise, why stress it? People are going to want to be here, just embrace it. The world has a lot of places going through some horrific things right now, I don’t believe we have any right to complain about a problem most of the planet would kill to have.”
One of the busiest places on the Island every Memorial Day is Coquina Beach. With the most available parking spaces anywhere on AMI, Coquina Beach is popular with day trippers from nearby areas to spend a day in the sun. Even though there are a lot of free parking spaces, it is recommended to get to Coquina Beach very early to avoid being shut out.
“We are seeing Coquina Beach parking filling up by 10 or 11 a.m. on the weekends here in May, which is generally a slower time of year,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said. “I believe this is going to be a busy Memorial Day weekend, and our department is ready for it.”
Diaz said his advice is to follow the rules and have fun. These rules include no fires, grills, alcohol or pets on the beach. Beachgoers can be fined for all these offenses. Diaz says the biggest problems the department sees on Memorial Day weekend are parking related. In 2023, his department wrote more than 300 parking tickets for illegal parking and will be heavily active in the public beach parking area again this year. Extra officers will be on duty and will not hesitate to cite violators.
“The one thing we want people to know is there is absolutely no saving parking spaces for others,” Diaz said. “This is becoming more of a problem recently, and we want to make it clear that it won’t be tolerated. If you are caught trying to prevent someone from parking in an open space because you are saving it for a friend or family member, you can lose your day at the beach. Parking spaces are first-come, first-served with no exceptions.”
Another popular beach area is Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, where thousands flock to soak up the sun in an area with concessions, shopping, a tiki bar and public bathrooms. This popular spot is also a source of frustration with visitors who want to get their cars parked and hit the water. According to Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, there is plenty of free parking and everyone can have a great day at the beach by following a few simple rules.
“We are a family friendly atmosphere, so don’t bring any alcohol, pets or grills. If you want to grill, there are designated grilling areas near the beach you can use,” Tokajer said. “Also, please remember to always park facing the right direction and pay attention to all signage out there. We have a lot of parking throughout the city beyond just the Manatee Beach lot. If you go to the city’s website, there’s a map that shows you all of the auxiliary parking beyond that of the public beach.”
Tokajer says many visitors think there is no parking available on these busy holiday weekends, but he makes daily patrols during these times and has never seen a day when there weren’t spaces available. Tokajer echoes what Diaz had to say about saving parking spaces, saying his department will not tolerate it and will remove problematic offenders from the beach parking areas if necessary.
In Anna Maria, there is not as much public parking and it’s important to look for signs regarding illegal parking. Many streets only allow parking on one side of the street and most private residences will not tolerate parking on their property without prior permission. All rules regarding grills, pets and alcohol on the beach also apply in Anna Maria and are strictly enforced by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Most officials agree on the basics for a great holiday weekend on AMI – Get here early, follow the rules and enjoy the holiday.
