Weekend Adventures in Bradenton: October 12-14, 2012

Manatee QB Cord Sandberg

BRADENTON – It's that busy time of year when the post-summer events start to roll around. Several high school football teams have bye weeks, but Manatee will host Cypress Bay for their Homecoming game Friday night. Manatee Children Services' big Country Night Dinner & Dance takes place Saturday and the Terra Ceia Art & Craft Show returns Sunday. Let's go on a weekend Adventure in Bradenton!

4-1 Cypress Bay comes into Hawkins stadium looking to spoil Manatee's homecoming as well as their national title hopes on Friday night. The Lightning have only lost to St. Thomas Aquinas and are one of the biggest challenges remaining on the Hurricanes' regular season schedule. Both Lakewood Ranch and Palmetto are idle, while Southeast comes off the short week hosting Riverview and Bayshore hosts Braden River.

High School Football
Cypress Bay @ Manatee
Riverview @ Southeast
Braden River @ Bayshore
Carrollwood @ Bradenton Christian

Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto and St. Stephen's are idle.

Manatee Children Services will host their annual fundraising event this Saturday night at the Bradenton Auditorium. This year's event is being billed as The Best Country Night Dance and Dinner Event on the Suncoast! 

There will be live country music featuring The Gamble Creek Band; plus performances by Billy Rice, Henry Lawrence and more.  There will be dinner featuring the homestyle cooking of Lee Roy Selmon's and a full liquor bar. Don't miss the Country Style Bingo Contest where 300 bingo balls will be sold for $20 and the last ball in the cage wins a $6,500 custom 4-passenger golf cart (pictured right).

There will be line dancing, bull riding, live and silent auctions. Western-style attire is optional and there will even be a best outfit contest. All proceeds help stop child abuse, neglect and abandonment in the local region. For more information or to reserve tickets visit www.manateechildrenservices.com or call 941.345.1200.

MCS is a non-profit agency started in 1977, which is dedicated to breaking the cycle of child abuse, neglect & abandonment on the Suncoast. They has our area's only licensed emergency shelter for child victims and currently help over 16,000 children & their families.

The Village Improvement Association of Terra Ceia Island is sponsoring its 4th Annual Arts & Craft Show, Sunday, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The event gives local talent & businesses an excellent chance to exhibit their wares without an entrance fee.  Besides promoting local talent and small businesses, the show has 3 cancer organization partners: Suncoast affiliate of Susan G. Komen, Faces of Courage and the Suncoast Communities Blood Bank.

Past shows have been filled with a wide variety of exhibitors usually numbering over 70. There's good food, 100's of raffle prizes, free admission and parking, plus live music, all in the beautiful setting of Terra Ceia Bay. For more information email humanside@msn.com.

4th Annual Terra Ceia Arts & Craft Show
Sea Breeze Park
55 Horseshoe Loop
Terra Ceia Island