Holiday Events On Anna Maria Island – Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals

You won’t find snow on Anna Maria Island, but we do have plenty of events to keep you and your family in the holiday spirit! Here are a few of them:

The Bridge Street Merchants annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for approximately 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 24. The Christmas tree will be near the roundabout at the east end of Bridge Street, very close to the Bridge Street Pier and will be visible from Gulf Drive. The tree will be lit when it gets dark enough to illuminate the decorations. At present, talks are in the works in hopes of securing some local carollers to share their vocal talents.

10:30 AM – 2:00 PM with Santa arriving at Noon!

Come out and enjoy some good old fashioned fun at old fashioned prices – Admission is Free and Activity tickets are only 25 cents each! The event is being held at The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Avenue, Anna Maria. Family fun including, pony rides, face painting, games, cookie decorating, Mechanical Reindeer, Bounce House and more! There will be plenty of yummy food, hot dogs, Duffy’s Burgers and Tyler’s Ice Cream.

Where: Tree Lighting will take place at AMI Chamber, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach

Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Tree lighting will be at 6:00 PM

Get in the holiday spirit with an evening stroll downtown Holmes Beach shopping and art district and a festive tree lighting celebration. Enjoy listening to Christmas music by CrossPointe Fellowship Holiday Carolers and watch as children’s eyes light up seeing Santa and his sleigh. The Holmes beach Open House and Tree Lighting event begins with a beautiful tree lighting celebration in the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce parking lot, and then it’s time to explore the shops and choose from many dining options. Many shops will remain open until 8 or 9:00 providing Holliday treats, live music and special sales to boost your season spirit. This event will truly bring out the Christmas spirit.

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

The Anna Maria Island Privateers will host their annual Christmas parade. The parade travels the entire length of the Island starting at Bayfront Park, 316 N Bay Blvd, Anna Maria and ending at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. It will travel along Gulf Drive and pass right in front of Anna Maris Island Condo Rentals – 601 Gulf Dr. N. Anna Maria Island, Florida 34217 so finding a perfect viewing spot will be easy. After the parade, at Coquina Beach, Santa Clause will be handing out gifts to the children. Come out and see this wonderful parade that brings joy to everyone watching.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

An Island Christmas at CrossPointe Fellowship Church presented by The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra. Come and enjoy this unique and accomplished Chorus and Orchestra. Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus & Orchestra is a cultural mainstay of the Florida Gulf Coast made up of professional and volunteer musicians thrilling their audiences year after year.

CrossPointe Fellowship

Where: 5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, Florida

Admission and parking are free!

Holmes Beach

5:00 pm – 7:30pm

There will be snow on Anna Maria Island at this holiday event. Actually, a snowstorm, sponsored by The Islander Newspaper. Snow will definitely be falling and for those of us from the North, it will look a lot like Christmas.

You’re invited to a holiday open house at the AMI Centre Shops. This holiday celebration on Anna Maria Island is at the Centre Shops in Holmes Beach located on East Bay Drive just south of Publix. Santa will visit with the kids on the Privateers Santa Sleigh with holiday cheer from the Centre’s local shops and businesses. The Centres’ shops will be staying open late to spread holiday cheer with refreshments, food, entertainment, treats and fun for all!

Members of the recently-formed Love Bradenton Beach business collective are planning a lighted golf cart parade on Friday, December 14. Presently, details have not been released, but more details are expected soon. If you would like more information about this event, please contact us.

5:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The Bridge Street Merchants will host their annual Christmas on Bridge Street holiday celebration on Bridge Street, Bradenton Beach. This year’s Christmas on Bridge Street event starts around 5 p.m. and takes place along the east end of Bridge Street, near the roundabout, the Bridge Tender Inn and the historic Bridge Street Pier.

Santa Claus will be arriving in a Golf Cart and will go from store to store to visit with the children and have pictures taken. There will be live bands on a flatbed in the parking spaces along Bridge Street in front of the Bridge Tender Inn. The band will remain stationary for the most part, but will occasionally go around the block with the band playing. As well as live music bands you can expect to see some Christmas carollers. Participating merchants are planning holiday crafts activities for the kids and some bars and restaurants will offer special drinks or drink specials.

The Privateers also will be on hand for the Dec. 15 Christmas at the Drift In holiday fundraiser. Proceeds from that event will help provide Christmas gifts and holiday meals for this year’s adopted holiday families.

While you are enjoying the holiday festivities on Bridge Street, you can also enjoy the spirit of the season watching the lighted boat parade. The Bradenton Beach Holiday Boat Parade will begin at 7:00 PM in the Intracoastal Waterway. The boat parade can be viewed by land and is being sponsored by the Bradenton Beach Marina and Island Pearl Excursions. The parade will start near the Cortez Bridge and head south to Longboat Pass Bridge where it will turn around and head back to the North passing the Bridge Street Pier ending at the Bradenton Beach Marina. In total, the parade is expected to take 60 – 90 minutes.

Tip from Anna Maria Island Condo Rentals: Your best viewing will be from the Cortez Bridge when the parade starts or historic Bridge Street Pier at the latter part. These two spots will provide an optimal view of the lighted boats. As the boats approach the Bradenton Beach Marina near the end of the parade they will come right beside the pier before turning into the Marina. If you stand about halfway down the pier on the north side the boats will be about 50 feet away from you.

In the spirit of the season we hope you enjoy these holiday events!

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