Every year, the De Soto Grand Parade makes its way down Manatee Avenue on April 28th.  That’s this Saturday!  The parade is reported to start off at Manatee High School at 6:30 PM so make sure you get there early to get the best view of all of the different 150+ floats.

During the parade there are plenty of beads, coins, and other fun items that get tossed into the crowd. For me, I usually leave the parade with bags full of beads and a sore neck from all of the beads. When was a child, I would begin to compete to get the most beads and fun items by the end of the parade.

Here are some benefits of going to this weekend’s De Soto Grand Parade.

1. Celebrate with your friends. Bring your friends with you to the parade and make the best of it. Although it may seem like just standing around clustered to watch a bunch of floats go around, it can be a time in which you can make some memories with your friends.
2. Collect beads. As things are being tossed around by the people in the floats, it is always fun to collect all the toys and beads and show off to your friends or give them to a younger sibling or relative.
3. People watching. In this packed parade, it is a good time to watch other people do funny things for a good laugh or smile.
4. Join the community in this cultural event. The De Soto parade is a day to celebrate the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto’s landing near the mouth of the Manatee River in May 1539.
5. See the newly crowned Queen and King of Bradenton.  This is a tradition, and you don’t want to miss it.
6. Plan to go to the parade to avoid having to drive through the parade traffic to go to other plans.
7. Just be outside. the best thing to do on a Saturday is to be outside so don’t stay home just because there’s gonna be traffic. Be active with your friends on a nice Saturday evening.