Spend your vacation on Anna Maria Island for a laid-back gathering with your family. Being on vacation doesn’t mean giving up your traditions. It just means creating more.
Take your Thanksgiving meal, for example. You can still savor your sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, and other holiday favorites. But you won’t have to cook or clean up.
Anna Maria Island Beach Café will be open on Thanksgiving. Preorder your Dinner on the Gulf, which includes turkey, ham, and all the trimmings! There is no better view for your holiday meal.
Or make reservations at Pier 22, just over the bridge in Bradenton. The Thanksgiving Feast menu includes fresh roasted turkey, house-made stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and an array of other sides.
Pier 22 also takes pre-orders for its Dinner To-Go so you can enjoy your Thanksgiving spread at your luxury vacation property. Kickback Cabana, a three-bedroom home in Holmes Beach, offers plenty of space for your family holiday, along with a heated pool. Caribbean Surf is also a three-bedroom with a nice dining room table, as well as a table on the deck overlooking the pool.
Of course, you can swim off those extra holiday goodies, or go for a run to work up your appetite.
The 25th Annual Bradenton Runners Club Turkey Trot 3 Mile fun run will be held at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton. The three-mile course begins at the main entrance to Robinson Preserve. There is a $10 registration fee, and race organizers ask participants to donate to selected local charities or bring canned or dry goods on race day. Register online only.
Or join about 4,000 others for the Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson State Park in Sarasota. The 5K run/walk begins at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, with the Kids Dash at 7:15 a.m. This event brings runners, joggers, and walkers from across the Suncoast and beyond.
There are other benefits to an Anna Maria Island holiday. Take a walk on the beach. Do your Black Friday shopping in specialty shops and boutiques. Paddle the waterways or book a boat charter. Rent a golf cart or bike for getting around the island.
Start new Thanksgiving traditions on Anna Maria Island.