ANNA MARIA ISLAND – As Americans wish the United States a happy 248th birthday, many people will choose to celebrate on the Island, hitting the beaches, shops, restaurants and bars with enthusiastic patriotism.
On Thursday, July 4, be prepared for festivities that will last four days or more, as many will arrive as early as they are able, taking the celebration through the weekend. Last year, many Island officials believed it was one of the busiest holidays the Island has ever seen, and this year, due to the four-day weekend, they say it could be just as busy or more so.
Tourism officials note a slight leveling off of tourism after the boom that occurred after the COVID-19 pandemic, when Florida became one of the few states that opened for business quickly after the COVID lockdown, but recent holiday weekends have been the exception.
“It’s going to be busy, but planning and patience will make it enjoyable for everyone,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said. “We issued more than 100 parking-related tickets last year, but I drove around our city’s public parking spots and there was never a time there weren’t spots open, people just need to keep a lookout for them.”
Tokajer said the City of Holmes Beach’s website has an extremely useful page that uses Google Earth to show where every legal parking space in the city is located. All a user has to do is go to www.holmesbeachfl.org and click on the “I want to” tab, then select “Find parking.” Tokajer says this is a great way to find the public parking spaces many don’t bother to seek out. Using this resource can help visitors get to the beach faster, and maximize their time on the beach rather than sit in traffic at the Manatee Beach parking lot that is usually full by 10 a.m. during busy holiday peak times.
The parking situation is amplified in the City of Bradenton Beach, where despite more than 50 no-parking signs being erected along Gulf Drive South, people simply don’t seem to care.
“Over Memorial Day weekend, our officers wrote more than 400 tickets for illegal parking at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach, and there were still plenty that probably got away with it,” Bradenton Beach Police Lt. Lenard Diaz said.
Both Tokajer and Diaz believe that some people feel it’s worth the price of a ticket to park illegally and get on with their beach day, a sentiment echoed by many people The Sun has spoken to regarding parking.
“We were told the price of a parking ticket at Coquina Beach was $75, but these paid parking lots that have recently popped up are $20 an hour,” Joanne Stover, of West Virginia, said. “It’s a heck of a lot cheaper to pay a ticket than pay that for the day, if my math is right.”
Restaurant wait times over the weekend are expected to be excessive, and travel to and from the Island will be slow-going, but there will still be plenty of sand, sea and sun to make the Island a great place to wish America a happy birthday.
A few things to keep in mind so that everyone will have a safe and enjoyable July Fourth include knowing what is not permitted on any Island beach:
• Motor vehicles;
• Fires;
• Grills (except where public grills are provided);
• Pets;
• Alcohol;
• Harassment of wildlife (shorebirds and sea turtles are nesting, admire from a distance);
• Fireworks.
“I have three important reminders for the upcoming July Fourth holiday weekend,” Tokajer said. “First, you are vacationing in a residential area, so please keep noise to a minimum. Second, be respectful of your surroundings and leave it cleaner than you found it. Third, always park with all tires off the road. Parallel parking is parking with the flow of traffic. Saying you didn’t see the sign or were not aware will not get a ticket voided. Also, fireworks are not permitted on the beach and our department will be out strictly enforcing this.”
Holmes Beach police, along with Bradenton Beach and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols the City of Anna Maria, all remind the public that the laws prohibiting fires, grills, alcohol and pets are strictly enforced.
All three departments plan to increase the number of officers on patrol for the busy holiday weekend.
“Remember to not put yourself in a position to be a victim of a crime of opportunity,” Diaz said. “Lock your car and don’t leave valuables in plain sight on car seats or places that entice criminals. Also, don’t bring valuables to the beach. Just bring what you need so you can relax and enjoy yourself.”
While violent crime is uncommon on AMI, a heavy influx of tourists will naturally bring out a few people with bad intentions. Simply taking common sense precautions can help assure a fun and safe day at the beach.
