Learn About Local Wildlife
Being a local in Anna Maria Island is more than just knowing what times to avoid popular attractions in the area. Anna Maria Island and its surrounding beach communities host a variety of wildlife that the locals have come to love and respect. Specifically, the area is home to colonies of sea turtles who will lay their eggs on the beaches before they hatch and join the parents in the ocean. Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts is an absolutely free educational session that you can attend during the month of August over at the City of Holmes Beach. This educational session is hosted by the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers to provide you an in depth look at local sea turtles and coastal bird life. This a fantastic, free, and family friendly way to see the loveable local wildlife and learn all about them.
Meditate and Take Care of the Parks
Locals are living in the area to have a bit of fun and make sure they can keep doing so. This means by taking care and cleaning up areas that need a little extra attention. You can feel like a local by taking care of the beaches while having a bit of fun with your community. On August 16th, you can experience the BE Beach Day: Clean Up, Potluck, and Meditation event for free. This community wide event will be held over at Fort De Soto Park where a community wide beach cleanup will take place. After the cleanup takes place stick around the park to enjoy a potluck with dishes provided by everyone. There will also be meditation sessions provided and games too. The event takes place from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, making it the perfect Saturday outing for the whole family.Catch Live Music Around town
Vacation always calls for a little live music whether you are back in your home town or somewhere else. Anna Maria Island offers several spots around the area where you can enjoy an afternoon or evening filled with live music. Holmes Beach offers live music with local musician Mike Partee on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM. Anna Maria Island Beach Café also offers live music every Friday during the month of August starting at 4:00 PM. Live music is always free so relax and enjoy a beverage during your visit to Anna Maria Island’s music venues.Get Around the City for Free
Renting a car is always ideal when you visit somewhere new especially when you have plenty of beaches to explore. However, locals know that when you know where you want to go, you can always just hop onto the trolley to get there. The Anna Maria Island trolley service is available for free every day of the week from 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM, even on holidays. The trolley runs along the Gulf Drive in between Anna Maria Island City Pier and Coquina Beach making it easy to explore places in between. Simply hop on and get to your destination with ease!
