Anna Maria Island is the perfect vacation destination and is unique on several fronts. Of course our sugar sand beaches, 37′ building restrictions, Free Trolley Service, and combination of full time residents and tourists make our little island a “peace” of paradise that continues to gain popularity as more and more visit. [Read more...]
Carol shares her top ten shopping destinations on Anna Maria Island.
Sterling Anvil
1. Sterling Anvil
All local handmade sterling silver and gold jewelry. Charms, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings – everything! Very reasonable prices and since everything is handmade each piece is one of a kind. Plan on taking some time in here as at first the amount of beautifully displayed pieces can be overwhelming. I start with my favorite – the earrings and then move on to the other sections so I don’t miss anything. When someone opens a gift and sees the “Sterling Anvil” box they always light up knowing there will be a treat inside.
Steve & Kim
Consider It Done is an errand, and personal assistant service for residents and guests of Anna Maria Island. Consider It Done is the culmination of many years of professional experience living and working in the Midwest. Now relocated on neighboring Perico Island, Steve and Kim are helping those on Anna Maria Island with things they can’t do, don’t have time to do, or simply don’t want to.
Stop in and check out Bella By The Sea on Pine Avenue in the City Of Anna Maria. Bella By The Sea carries a wide variety of clothes geared for modern women who are all about comfort, and also offers home furnishings that are Renewed, Refurbished, or Recycled. Named after her English Bulldog Bella, Jo-Ann Lefner opened Bella By The Sea because she was inspired by the quaint northern end of Anna Maria Island. Jo-Ann wanted to add a store that would stay within the charm of Anna Maria.
12th & East On The Beach
Join the ladies of 12th and East Home to celebrate the grand opening of their Holmes Beach location. 12th and East brings their unique vintage modern aesthetic seaside, while continuing to hand-select and update 17th and 18th century antique treasures.
12th and East at the Beach will introduce an exciting new line of women’s clothing, shoes, bags and kitchen items such as table linens, serving wares, dish soaps and more. The new shop will also carry select children’s items, such as clothes, beach sandals and handcrafted toys. Champagne will be flowing! See you at the beach for a lovely evening surrounded by beauty!
12th and East Home at the Beach
5416 Marina Drive
Holmes Beach, Florida
As I walked through the front door of the Back Alley on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach I was greeted by the friendly staff, and soon found out that the Back Alley was much more than just a café. In the gift shop I found some very cool paintings and prints done by local artists on Anna Maria Island as well as books written by local authors. There are necklaces and hand crafted jewelry hung throughout the Gift Shop. In the back of the gift shop they have a bar area where you can order snacks, sandwiches, pub pizzas, coffee, cold beer, or a glass of wine. The pub pizzas are $5.00 and the sandwiches are all around $7.00 they take cash or major credit cards and you can grab a table out back for your dining experience.
There are lots if great restaurants on Anna Maria Island but you can’t eat out every night of the week. Lucky for you Anna Maria Island has Publix Super Market. Publix on Anna Maria Island is a full service Super Market with a great deli, bakery, meat department, fresh produce, fresh fruit, fresh seafood, and most all of the other groceries you would find at your favorite grocery store. Publix Super Market is located at 3900 East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach just south of Manatee Avenue, right next to the CVS. If you are coming from Bradenton heading west toward Anna Maria Island on Manatee Avenue, just after you go over the Manatee Bridge onto Anna Maria Island take a left on East Bay Drive and Publix is on you right hand side.
Anna Maria Island's Bayfest 2010
Anna Maria Island is celebrating Bayfest’s 10th Anniversary this year. This fantastic family festival is set to take place on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria this weekend, October 15th & 16th, 2010. It is a wonderful celebration with fun for all ages. This FREE event features, live music, arts, crafts & retail vendors, a “Taste of the Island” food court, and even a children’s play area.
The festivities start on Friday evening with a Kickoff Party on the corner of Pine Avenue and Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria City. Mike Sales will emcee the evening which will include live music starting at 5pm with The Dr. Dave Band, and Bootleg will take the stage at 8pm. There are always a wide array of tasty treats and dinner tidbits at hand, and drinks for sale ranging from Water to Rum Runners. Last year my whole crew-kids, parents, nieces, nephews, neighbors, friends-all headed North on the Island to enjoy dinner, and music on the lawn. There are chairs, and tables set up so you can sit and enjoy your meal (kids ate pizza and chicken, grown-ups dined on fish tacos, bar-b-q, gyros, yummy chips, fries, crab cakes, sliders…the list goes on…) and your dessert (including funnel cakes, pies and cakes or all kinds). There is also an open area for dancing, and laying blankets to picnic.
Saturday starts at 10am, and goes ‘til 10pm. Whether you are on the East or West side of Pine Avenue, there is something to do. The Anna Maria Island Community Center is hosting a Kid’s Fishing Tournament on the Anna Maria City Pier starting at 9am. On the West End of Pine Avenue you can start your day by enjoying the Island’s Largest Classic Car Show, which will run until 3pm. There are great Oldies playing as you stroll around these beautiful cars. There are awards handed out for several categories, starting at around 2:30pm. The wide variety of cars to enjoy include something for everyone from antique, to classic, to custom, to muscle, to high performance vehicles. With 100 pre-registered cars, this show is already at capacity, and sure to be great fun for onlookers of all ages! My Dad appreciates the intricacies of all the vehicles, while my kids appreciate how cool they are to look at and listen to! You’re bound to find one that catches your fancy!
Moving down Pine Avenue, you can grab a beverage, and walk through the outstanding display booths. Every year we are able to pick out holiday gifts of all sorts. Jewelry, home decorations, cool crafts and artistic wonders abound. The kids LOVE the marshmallow blasters they got last year, while I am still wearing the anklet I got! There are clothes, and gadgets, decor, and displays- definitely something for everyone! I even nabbed a new pair of sunglasses, to help extend the day’s enjoyment! Toward the Eastern end of Pine Ave you will find the EVER popular Children’s Play Area, with festival classics like bounce houses, and prize games. There are always fun demonstrations and activities for the kids to participate in, as well as games to play and crafts to make. We are hoping to see the bubble cup craft again this year…always a big hit with my crowd!
Before grabbing more tasty treats my kiddos HAVE to pay a visit to the Privateers at the far end of Pine Avenue, near the City Pier. Their ship always has a stronghold on the corner, and the kids love to see the crew dressed to the nines in full pirate regalia! The privateers are always eager to share pirate spirit and usually a little pirate bounty!
Once we take in the full breadth of displays and activites, we like to take our own stronghold back on the grass near the food court, and enjoy the live music. DJ Chris Grumley will be hosting Saturday’s stage, where the line up includes 8 fantastic bands playing throughout the day. The Garbage Men will open the show at 10:15am. The Island Rockers will take the stage at 11:30am followed by Fogt’s Jr All Star Band at 1pm. Firedoor will keep things going at 2:30, and Hammers & Adams will follow at 4pm. The Human Condition will have the evening crowd rocking at 5:30, and Koko Ray & the Soul Providers will rock the sunset from 7-8pm. The Billy Rice Band will close out the show from 8:30-10pm.
So, you can be sure you will enjoy a fantastic day on beautiful Anna Maria Island when you come out for Bayfest 2010! And, as always, Island Real Estate is happy to help you find that perfect Anna Maria Island Vacation Rental. With all the Vacation Rentals we have on Anna Maria Island, you are sure to find what you are looking for. Contact one of our Vacation Rental Specialists, to help you book your Island Vacation. Or call us at 877-778-6066 and let us make your Anna Maria Island experience a celebration!
Welcome to historic Bridge Street on beautiful Anna Maria Island. After the first bridge was built in the 1920’s Bridge Street was the center of the island community. Today the island side of that old wooden bridge still stands, and Bridge Street is a great place for walking, Shopping, Dining, Family Activities, and breath taking views of both the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay.
6101 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217