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Christmas on Bridge Street to spotlight holiday boat parade

Christmas on Bridge Street to spotlight holiday boat parade

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – The fifth annual Christmas on Bridge Street on Saturday, Dec. 2 will include a holiday boat parade, live music and family-friendly activities.

Beginning at 3 p.m., the Strolling Crosley Carolers will sing, Santa will be available to pose for pictures, and kids can get their faces painted and make ornaments.

When the sun goes down, the annual decorated boat parade will begin.

The best viewing location for the parade will be on the city pier, where Mike Sales will be hosting music from 6-8 p.m. The boats arrive between 6:30-7:30 p.m.

For those who would like to see the parade from the water, two local businesses are accepting passengers on their vessels and donating the proceeds to charity. Space is limited and tickets sell out quickly; visit www.annamariaprincess.com or www.seedolphins.com.

The parade can also be viewed from the Longboat Pass Bridge from 6-6:45 p.m.

Vessels in the parade will gather near the south end of Jewfish Key. The parade will head northwest along the Longboat Pass Bridge and then continue north in the Intracoastal Waterway, passing the Bradenton Beach City Pier and ending at the Bradenton Beach Marina.

For boaters who would like to join in the boat parade, entry is free and open to both powerboats and sailboats. The downloadable entry form is available at lovebradentonbeach.com.

Parade participants must attend a mandatory captain’s meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bridge Street Pier.

Judges will be randomly selected from the crowd at the city pier. Vessels can win a cash prize in one of two categories: Best Decorated Vessel or Most Enthusiastic Vessel.

Christmas on Bridge Street attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item and help “Stuff the Truck” for the Manatee Food Bank.

Celebrate Christmas on Bridge Street

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Entertainment, Events, Family fun, Holiday.

BRADENTON BEACH – The Bridge Street Merchants will host their annual Christmas on Bridge Street holiday celebration on Saturday, Dec. 15 from 4-6:30 p.m.

The holiday festivities will take place up and down Bridge Street in the heart of the city’s business district.

Christmas on Bridge Street clock tower
On Saturday, Christmas Designers began installing new holiday decorations on the historic pier clocktower and along Bridge Street. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Santa Claus will visit the businesses up and down street aboard his electric sled and participating retailers and food and beverage establishments will offer specials and special holiday activities.

This year’s musical roster includes Brigid’s Cross, Steve Arvey, Rebecca Bird and Deacon Gibson, with Arvey again serving as musical coordinator. As a new twist, the musicians will perform on a flatbed trailer that will provide music on the move at various locations along Bridge Street and beyond.

Students from the Manatee School of the Arts will also wander Bridge Street singing Christmas carols.

A cornhole tournament and children’s craft activities will take place in the parking lot at the historic Bridge Street Pier.

Bridge Street will look even more festive this year thanks to the new holiday decorations recently purchased by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The new decorations were manufactured and installed by Christmas Designers, the firm that does the elaborate holiday decorations along University Boulevard and at the University Town Center mall in Sarasota.

The new decorations supplement the decorations purchased in previous years by the Bridge Street Merchants and the merchants’ beautifully decorated Christmas tree that stands in the traffic circle at the east end of Bridge Street.

“The street looks very nice,” said Bridge Street Merchants vice president Sherman Baldwin.

Christmas on Bridge Street is co-sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Sun.

Christmas on Bridge Street will be followed by the Bradenton Beach Holiday Boat Parade that starts at 7 p.m.