Entertainment
Heritage Harbour residents live a short distance from a variety of entertainment opportunities. In the Bradenton/Sarasota and St. Petersburg/Tampa areas, there are theaters, museums, sports facilities, and other entertainment venues just an hour or less from home. Many local amateur groups and schools present high quality entertainment.
This page will include website addresses for various categories of entertainment opportunities. We also can feature more detailed information about particular shows or other events. Residents can report their entertainment experiences and make recommendations to their neighbors. We welcome your ideas and suggestions on how to make this page a valuable part of our website.
MANATEE COUNTY FAIR 2012
If you’re looking for great family fun, try the 96th Manatee County Fair, which runs from January 12th through January 22nd at the fairgrounds, 1303 17th Street W, in Palmetto. This year’s theme is “A Star Spangled Year”. The fair features exciting exhibits and vendors, livestock shows and auctions, a thrill-packed midway, great entertainment, and a wide variety of food.
Admission to the fair is $8 for an adult age 13 and older, $7 for a senior age 55 and up, $5 for a child ages 6 to 12, and free for children age 5 and younger. For more information, call 722-1639 or 722-8951. Detailed information, including opening/closing times and schedules of exhibits and entertainment, are on the fair’s website: www.manateecountyfair.com.
Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center (Open Nov 1st thru April 15th)
Did you ever wish you could see Florida manatees up close and personal? If so, during the winter you should visit TECO's Manatee Viewing Center at Apollo Beach (I-75 Exit 246). When the water temperature in Tampa Bay falls below 68 F, manatees gather in the warm water near the TECO power plant. An observation platform lets you watch them as they float, come up for air, and dive down again. During very cold weather, hundreds of manatees have been sighted.
The Manatee Viewing Center is open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from November 1 through April 15. Parking and admission are free. Any donations are used for educational exhibits and publications. The Center also features an environmental education facility with fascinating exhibits, games for kids, and a hurricane simulator.
For detailed information about the Manatee Viewing Center, go to www.tampaelectric.com/manatee.
PLAY BALL!!! Spring Training is Here!
One of the many benefits of living in Florida is the chance to see major league baseball teams play during spring training in February and March. The fields are smaller, so you can see the players up close. There are opportunities to get autographs. Ticket prices (although they have increased in recent years) are lower than prices for regular season games. On Florida’s west coast, eight major league teams play spring training games less than 55 miles to the north and 97 miles to the south of Heritage Harbour.
The teams and their locations are:
Pittsburgh Pirates --- Bradenton --- McKechnie Field
Baltimore Orioles --- Sarasota --- Ed Smith Stadium
Tampa Bay Rays --- Port Charlotte --- Charlotte Sports Park
Boston Red Sox --- Ft. Myers --- City of Palms Park
Minnesota Twins --- Ft. Myers --- Hammond Stadium
Philadelphia Phillies --- Clearwater --- Bright House Field
New York Yankees --- Tampa --- George M. Steinbrenner Field
Toronto Blue Jays --- Dunedin --- Dunedin Stadium
Seven other teams in the “Grapefruit League” play in central or eastern Florida.
TAKE THE BUS TO THE BEACH
There's a free and easy way to go to Holmes Beach on a Sunday, with no worries about finding a parking space. The Beach Express is a free MCAT bus that leaves from the west parking area at Walmart (near the garden center) and runs straight out SR 64 to Holmes Beach . The bus makes six round trips, starting at 9:00 a.m., with the last bus arriving back at Walmart at 6:00 p.m. In just 45 minutes you can start walking on the beach or enjoy fish and chips at the Beach Café. You also can connect with the free Beach Trolley (which runs every 20 minutes) to explore Anna Maria Island from the City Pier to Coquina Beach . The free Beach Express bus also runs on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For timetables for the Beach Express and the Anna Maria Island Trolley, go to: http://www.mymanatee.org/home/government/departments/public-works/transit-paratransit/bus-schedules.html and select Trolley Routes.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ZOO
Do you know which zoo was named the #1 Zoo in the United States by Parents Magazine in 2009? It’s Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, located at 1101 West Sligh Avenue, only 55 miles north of Heritage Harbour. Visiting this family-friendly zoo is an enjoyable experience for people of all ages. Walking around the grounds is easy on its wide pathways, and all exhibits are handicap accessible. Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented.
Through a large window, you can watch manatees twirling in their pool. You can get up close to penguins, bald eagles, and a Florida panther. The zoo has numerous interactive exhibits, and you can even ride on a camel or feed a giraffe. Bring extra money to buy tokens for rides such as the Treetop Skyfari, the Gator Falls Flume Ride, and the Jungle Carousel.
A wide selection of food and beverages is available throughout the park, along with benches for rest stops. Parking is free. For detailed information about the zoo, including driving directions, hours and ticket prices, go to the zoo’s website www.LowryParkZoo.com or call (813) 935-8552.
BASEBALL STARS OF TOMORROW IN BRADENTON
Where can you enjoy a professional baseball game for $6 or less right here in Bradenton? The Bradenton Marauders (the Pittsburgh Pirates High A team in the Florida State League) play at McKechnie Field on 9th Street West, just a short drive from Heritage Harbour. Most games (except Sundays) are played in the evening, as the hot summer sun is setting and the breezes are blowing. The Marauders are an exciting team with a winning record. Fans are close to the action, with family entertainment and games continuing throughout the game.
Ticket prices are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, students and military, and $4 for children 12 and under. Many games feature promotions, such as Thirsty Thursday ($1 beer/soda), Hot Diggity Dog Double Play (2 hotdogs for $5), and Bands and Baseball (pre-game concerts on Friday nights). Come early for parking on the street or in nearby lots. For much more information, go to http://www.bradentonmarauders.com/
Play Ball!!! Regular Season is Here! GO RAYS!!
http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tb&tcid=mm_mlb_sitelist