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October 31, 2006
For more media info: Gentry Baumline
Hayworth Creative Public Relations
386-677-7000/ gentry@hayworthcreative.com
For Immediate Release
Florida’s Gulf Islands Take Visitors BEYOND the Beach
BRADENTON, Fla. (October 2, 2006) – Plan your fall escape beyond the white sand beaches of Florida’s Gulf Islands and explore numerous inland activities offering affordable, artsy, and al fresco adventures to pique your interest. Explore the flora and fauna of old Florida, while enjoying interesting additions to the traditional seaside vacation.
Bradenton, with its hip personality, is the perfect retreat for those that enjoy life-imitating-art-imitating-life. The city’s crown jewel is the Village of the Arts, a unique and distinctive collection of bungalows transformed into beautiful art galleries. The Village of the Arts is the largest artist-in-residence colony in the greater Tampa Bay area, and provides visitors a sneak peek the first weekend of every month during Artwalk – a celebration of food, music, outdoor exhibits, and guided tours. Artists open their doors to visitors at no charge from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. For gallery listings and a complete schedule of upcoming events, please visit www.villageofthearts.com.
The South Florida Museum, in celebration of their 60th anniversary, keeps Snooty™ up late with ‘Family Thursdays’. Each Thursday evening until 9 p.m., special family programming and activities will educate and entertain guests of all ages throughout the museum complex. Snooty™, the world’s most recognized manatee, will host three evening performances in the Parker Manatee Aquarium. Live shows in hi-definition digital video will delight on large format theater screens in the state-of-the-science Bishop Planetarium. Curator’s tours will begin at 6:30 p.m. and include the new SEVEN exhibit in the East Gallery and first floor exhibits. For complete hours and museum admission, log onto www.southfloridamuseum.org.
For some, shopping is the ultimate amusement. In nearby Ellenton, you can shop ‘til you drop at the Prime Outlets, a Caribbean-style village with more than 130 factory direct stores. For more upscale shopping, head to Mainstreet at Lakewood Ranch, just east of I-75, where you’ll enjoy more than 30 unique restaurants and specialty boutiques along a tree-lined promenade that plays host to art shows and special events throughout the season.
Around the Bend Nature Tours offers visitors a first-hand look into the natural and cultural heritage of Manatee County. Playing a key role in conservation education are field trips and guided tours provided free of charge courtesy of the Manatee County Conservation Lands Management Department, Southwest Florida Water Management District and Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. For public tour times and itineraries, please visit www.aroundbend.com.
Trade sand castles for sand traps for an unforgettable day of play at The Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch. Four-star rated by Golf Digest, this Arnold Palmer links course provides five tee boxes on every hole and appeals to all levels of play. For tee times, call (941) 907-7067.
Raise a racket at IMG’s Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where tennis greats Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles and Andre Agassi played. The academy boasts 10 clay, 35 hard, and six indoor courts on-site, with an additional 21 courts at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Centre. Visitors are welcome to play for a day, a week, or by the month.
The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes tourism to Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch through domestic and international advertising, public relations and marketing efforts. For further information contact 800-4-MANATEE or visit www.floridagulfislands.com.
-Florida’s Gulf Islands-
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