Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Bradenton: Parades, Tree Lightings, More

BRADENTON, FL — There is no shortage of things to do in Bradenton to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Tree and menorah lightings in Manatee County are:

• Holmes Beach Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Walkabout, Dec. 2, 5 to 8 p.m., Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce parking lot, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. The Crosspoint Church Choir will perform.
• Lakewood Ranch Holiday Tree Lighting, Dec. 2, 5:30 to 9 p.m., on Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street. The lighting will take place before the evening’s Music on Main performance by Juicy Purple.
• A Taste of Chanukah, Dec. 18, 4 to 6 p.m., at Phillippi Estate Park in Sarasota. Hosted by Chabad Lubavitch of Sarasota & Manatee Counties, this event includes a balloon menorah, live music, a trackless train, a 3-ton snow slide, kosher food, arts and crafts, and more. Chabad of Sarasota will also host menorah lightings during the holiday.
• Chanukah Celebration, Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m., Riverwalk Mosaic Amphitheater in Bradenton. The event will feature a menorah lighting and Klezmer music.
• Chanukah Shabbat Service and Menorah Lighting, Dec. 23, 7 p.m., Temple Beth El, 5150 Peridia Blvd. E., Bradenton. Bring your favorite menorah. There will also be music and song during the shabbat service.

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland, and theChristmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Parades in Manatee County may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

• Bradenton Beach Holiday Boat Parade, Dec. 3, 6 p.m. Best viewing areas are from the Longboat Key Bridge and the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. Vessels gather near the south end of Jewfish Key and heads northwest along the Longboat Pass Bridge and north up the Intracoastal Waterway. It will pass alongside the Bradenton Beach city pier and end at the Bradenton Beach Marina.
• Manatee River Holiday Boat Parade, Dec. 10, 6 p.m. Staging is at Snead Island and vessels travel down the Manatee River.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in the Bradenton area are:

• Country Christmas at Hunsader Farms, 5500 CR 675, Bradenton. Dec. 10-11, 16-18, 22-23, 6 to 10 p.m. This holiday display features more than 300,000 lights. There are also hayrides, train rides, Christmas music, visits with Santa, craft vendors, campfires, a Christmas village display, holiday movies, snow tubing and a petting zoo, according to the Hunsader Farms website. Cost is $15 per person. Kids 5 and younger are free. Parking is free. Cash only.
• Winter Nights Under the Lights, Dec. 15-18, 6 p.m., at Palma Sola Botanical Park, 9800 17th Ave. NW, Bradenton. This holiday display is free, though there are optional donation spots throughout the park.
• Lights of Palmetto, nightly 6 to 10 p.m., 5220 69th Street., Palmetto. The display is set to music and those driving or parking nearby can tune into 96.10 FM to hear holiday songs timed with the lights.
• University Town Center, nightly light shows along Cattlemen Road in Sarasota from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Shows run every 30 minutes. Fireworks on Saturdays at 9 p.m.