Veterans Day: Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte feature activities Thursday through Saturday

Staff Report
·4 min read
The Riverview Kilt Band marches in the annual Veterans Day Parade on Main St. in downtown Sarasota on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.
The Riverview Kilt Band marches in the annual Veterans Day Parade on Main St. in downtown Sarasota on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Programs marking Veterans Day in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties start Thursday, Nov. 9 and continue through Saturday, which will be highlighted by a variety of special programs.

Here’s a list of current plans.

Thursday

  • 9 to 9:45 a.m. at  Jessie P. Miller Elementary School, 601 43rd St. W., Bradenton. A Salute to Veterans performance by fourth-grade students.

  • State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Veteran Services will host the college’s annual Veterans Day event honoring those who have served or are currently serving in the nation’s armed forces. A program will be hosted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at SCF Venice, 8000 S. Tamiami Trail, at the Performance Pavilion, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at SCF Bradenton, 5840 26th St. W. outside Building 14. The event is free and open to the public, with noted activities available while supplies last.

Friday

  • 9 a.m. the Anna Maria Island Old Soldiers & Sailors Veterans Day Parade starts at Anna Maria City Hall, then proceeds down Pine Avenue, ending at City Pier Park. For information, call 941-708-6130, ext. 110, or email Parade@cityofannamaria.com.

  • At 4:30 p.m. Nov. 10, The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch, 7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota, will dedicate the Veterans & Visionaries Memorial Eagle, a bronze sculpture that pays tribute to the founding members of the community, as well as the 355 veterans who have lived there over the past two decades. Currently, 85 veterans reside at The Glenridge, eight of whom served during WWII. The community’s CEO is a Vietnam veteran.

Saturday

  • At 9 a.m., The Charlotte County Veterans Day Parade will begin at  Port Charlotte Beach Park, 4500 Harbor Blvd., Port Charlotte, and travel along Harbor Boulevard to Edgewater Drive to the William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Park., 20499 Edgewater Dr., Port Charlotte.

  • The Military Heritage Museum, 900 West Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda has several programs planned, using the theme “Why We Still Serve." Programs start at 10 a.m., followed by a ceremony at 11 a.m., with patriotic music, a color guard and featured guest speaker Major General Greg F. Martin, U.S. Army (retired), a combat veteran. For information on all events visit https://www.militaryheritagemuseum.org or call 941-575-9002.

  • The Manatee County Veterans Council Veterans Day Parade starts at 9:30 a.m.at Manatee County Fairgrounds and proceeds south on 11th Avenue, ending at Sutton Park. Grand Marshall is 105-year-old Army veteran John Skeen. An Annual Veterans’ Day Memorial Service at Sutton Park follows at 11 a.m. This year's keynote speaker will be former director of Manatee County Veterans Services and Acting County Administrator Lee Washington.

  • The annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Sarasota starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Osprey Avenue and Main Street and proceeds west to Gulfstream Avenue. That is followed by an 11 a.m. ceremony at Chaplain J.D. Hamel Park, 199 Bayfront Drive, with Marine Corps Reserve First Sgt. Carlos Moreira the guest speaker.

  • At 11 a.m. American Legion Post 159 of Venice will host a Veterans Day ceremony at Patriots Park, 800 Venetia Bay Blvd. It will include a presentation of colors, patriotic music, a proclamation by Mayor Nick Pachota, guest speakers, and a rifle salute. Attendees should bring their own chairs.

  • At 11 a.m., VFW Post 8203 hosts its Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Park, 13750 Tamiami Trail, North Port.

  • Englewood VFW Post 10178, 550 N. McCall Road, Englewood, will host its Veterans Day Ceremony. Guest speaker will be retired Army Colonel Wilton Swenson, Jr. For more information, call 941-474-7516.

  • At 2:45 p.m., opening ceremonies begin for the 14th annual Veterans Day Diocese of Venice at Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Highway 72, Sarasota. The Mass begins at 3 p.m. Ample parking is provided, and golf cart shuttles will be available for those who need assistance.

  • At 3 p.m. the Town of Longboat Key hosts a Veterans Day Observance & Ribbon Cutting of the Karon Family Pavilion, 600 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key feature a performance by the Sarasota Orchestra.

  • At 7 p.m, the Manatee Community Concert Band will give its "God Bless America" Veterans Day Performance at Neel Performing Arts Center on the campus of State College of Florida, Sarasota Manatee, 5840 26th Street West, Building 11 East, Bradenton.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Veterans Day activities start Thursday and include Saturday parades