Manatee River Holiday Boat Parade Canceled Due To Poor Weather

Bradenton, Fla., Dec. 9, 2017—The Manatee River Holiday Boat Parade scheduled for

6:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9 has been canceled due to poor weather conditions. The

parade will not be rescheduled.

The National Weather Service Tampa Bay, Ruskin, Florida has issued a small craft

advisory in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday evening. A strong cold front moved through the

region Friday night creating hazardous boating conditions with 20-25 knot winds

developing in its wake along with building seas from 4-6 feet near shore and up to 8 feet

offshore.

Parade organizer Cynthia Belfatto, who also manages the Twin Dolphin Marina in

downtown Bradenton said on behalf of the boat parade committee, "We apologize for

any inconvenience but must consider the safety of the captains and crew. We thank the

public for understanding, and we look forward to making next year’s parade even bigger

and better."

"We're disappointed that the boat parade had to be canceled. We look forward to this

event every year, as do many in Palmetto and Bradenton areas. We appreciate all the

hard work from the captains and those sponsors who showed their support, committee

member Kristin VanDerNoord added.

Boat parade viewing events at PIER 22 and the Bradenton Yacht Club have also been

canceled. PIER 22 will not charge anyone with reservations for its sold-out annual

Holiday Boat Parade VIP Viewing Party & Buffet. Guests with viewing party reservations

are welcome to keep their table and enjoy the regular PIER 22 dinner menu.

Members of the public are encouraged to go online to the Manatee Boat Parade

Facebook page for more information.

About the Holiday Boat Parade

A Florida non-profit organization, the Manatee River Holiday Boat Parade works to

enliven Bradenton and Palmetto areas with a free holiday community event that

everyone can enjoy. The group provides residents and visitors opportunity for hands-on

participation, volunteering, socializing, and cultural development; while offering

surrounding businesses various economic benefits.