Get Down Downtown Moves to Friday This Month

Get Down Downtown will make a temporary move to the third Friday of this month instead of its usual third Thursday. The event has been extended an extra hour until 11 p.m.

Cork Miller, president of the Old Main Merchants Association, the group in charge of the Get Down Downtowns, said the change in date was made to accommodate the Billy Rice Band, one of the most popular live musical artists in the Bradenton area. Live music starts at 6 p.m. with Bain Beakley opening for Billy Rice, who is expected to take the stage at 8 p.m.

Get Down Downtown will resume its usual schedule on the third Thursday in January.

Don't worry, the event will be in its usual spot along historic Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton. Old Main Street will be closed from 2:30 p.m. until at least 11 p.m., so be careful not to leave your vehicle parked on the street beyond 2:30 p.m. or risk a tow.

AROUND BRADENTON THIS WEEKEND:

*Bradenton’s beautiful , 1611 9th St. W., spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and summer home of their farm team, the Bradenton Marauders, is opening its gates for a special event Friday. (And since the concession stands are open and selling beer and wine, this gets a mention in the Bar Tab column!)

Reels at Rossi Park, the free, movie-in-the-park series held on the Manatee River front every third Friday of the month, is making a December-only appearance at McKechnie. It’s been temporarily displaced because of construction on the riverfront. This Friday, McKechnie’s gates open at 5 p.m. for a 5:15 p.m. performance from the Manatee Players followed by the screening of the holiday classic White Christmas at sunset. The movie will be played in the outfield so bring something to sit on, like a lawn chair or blanket. No cover!

Beer, wine and food on sale at the concession stands.

* , 801 Riverside Drive E., hosts a weekly jam session every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with longtime local musician Bodie Valdez. All musicians are welcome! Bring your instrument and swing on by. Get there early for happy hour prices from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tarpon Point is open until 10 p.m. on Thursdays.

* Catch your Monday night football at the oldest, family-owned watering hole in Manatee County, the , 420 301 Blvd. E. The St. Louis Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks at 8:30 p.m. Pregame show starts at 8 p.m. Watch the game on a 92-inch screen television with surround sound, dine on the Hi-Way Bar’s famous burger or chili and wash it down with some beers. Buckets of domestic beer are $10 and pitchers of Budweiser and Natural Light are $6.50.

* Get your tickets now for the Second Annual Christmas Pub Crawl on Thursday, Dec. 22. We’re promoting this a week early because tickets are going fast! The Crawl, sponsored by Dreammaker Limousines, is a tour of several local bars from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. Ticketholders will meet at , 424 Old Main St., for a free drink and pizza from . First stop is Drift In, 120 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach, for a free drink and live music followed by Gator Club, 1490 Main St., Sarasota, for another free drink and more live music. The bus returns to Cork’s by midnight. Raffle giveaways throughout the night. All proceeds benefit the Salvation Army. Suggested minimum donation is $20. RSVP dreammakerlimousines@gmail.com.