Island plots sparkling July 4 sales, tourist influx
Washingtons, Hamiltons, maybe even Franklins — the Founding Fathers will be showing their faces on the island the three-day July Fourth holiday.
Tourism and business insiders expect traditional crowds but Anna Maria Island rental managers are scrambling to fill vacancies that buck historical trends.
Meanwhile, business owners are putting forth individualized approaches to the holiday.
“We’re expecting a busy Anna Maria Island,” Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Elliott Falcione said June 22.
“Every national holiday weekend in the summer is always strong. Whether it’s Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or Labor Day, unless the weather is really bad, it’s going to be strong,” he said. “Because not only do you have a strong driver market coming in, it’s augmented by summertime flights that we have now that we probably didn’t have 6-8 years ago.”
Despite high fuel prices, the American Automobile Association anticipates the second-busiest Fourth of July in Florida since 2000, with 2.6 million Floridians expected to travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend.
The expected influx of drivers — 4% more than last year — likely will be bolstered by air travel from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, which has expanded flight offerings in recent years.
The net result is solidly booked short-term accommodations on the island July 1-4, Falcione said.
“And at this point for the July Fourth holiday, we’re expecting a status-quo type of weekend pretty similar to last year. Bookings look pretty solid,” he said.
Silver Resorts general manager Angela Rodocker corroborated Falcione’s findings, telling The Islander in a June 21 email that the outfit’s sister sites in Bradenton Beach — Bridgewalk Landmark Resort and Silver Surf Gulf Resort — were nearly sold out.
“I expect us to be completely full by the time the weekend gets here,” she added. “The following week is also very busy. This is very common year after year.”
Rodocker reported that about 80% of hotel guests filling the resorts’ 78 combined rooms will be from Florida, with the remaining 20% hailing from the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast — another standard summer trend.
Most guests are families staying 3-4 days and arriving on Saturday, July 2, or Sunday, July 3, she said.
While short-term rental and hotel bookings appear solid, the number of weeklong reservations at rentals is down compared to previous years.
Duncan Real Estate vacation rental manager Sybille Petereit told The Islander they began offering short-term stays at their managed properties June 22 to fill Independence Day vacancies.
“We used to book Saturday to Saturday with the holiday week fully booked at this time without the need to allow short stays,” she said. “Currently, we are only booked about 85%, which is very slow compared to any other previous year.”
June 22 search results showed July 2-9 vacancies at 29 of Island Real Estate’s 96 rental properties and 36 of Anna Maria Island Accommodation’s 263 units.
Petereit theorized that recent island rental price hikes, international travel opportunities and rising transportation costs have deterred visitors from longer stays at Duncan’s 100 rental properties.
The market factors also may be driving another unusual trend — fewer summertime visitors from Florida.
While Duncan usually sees a 50/50 in-state/out-of-state renter split, the outfit has seen the number of Floridian renters decrease by 50% this year.
Petereit said Floridian renters may have opted to find cheaper accommodations on the mainland that allow them to drive to the island on Independence Day weekend.
Checking-in at restaurants
While most island restaurants will be enjoying an uptick in business July 1-4, some will close on Independence Day to give staff a breather.
“We’re open the weekend, just closed on the actual holiday,” Pizza Social owner Andrew Simonetti said June 21. “We wanted to give our staff a much-needed rest and enjoy the holiday with family and friends.”
The Anna Maria pizzeria, which celebrated its two-year anniversary June 17, also closed for the holiday last year.
Holmes Beach’s Beach Bistro also will close July 4.
“We are always closed July Fourth,” James Hager, Beach Bistro general manager, said June 22. “We give our employees an opportunity to celebrate this wonderful country and that’s just what we’ve always done.”
Hager anticipates an influx of business July 1-3 and said he’s seen more families and large groups come through the bistro’s doors this summer compared to previous years.
The eatery’s business volume has been solid but trails behind last year’s late-pandemic boom, an islandwide trend Hager attributes to market normalization.
Bradenton Beach’s Wicked Cantina, Holmes Beach’s Ugly Grouper and Anna Maria Island’s Poppo’s Taqueria and Two Scoops ice cream parlor will be open July 4.
Staff and owners said the businesses will benefit from the Anna Maria Island Privateers’ Independence Day Parade, which will pass by their doors 10:30-11 a.m. along Gulf Drive, Marina Drive, Palm Drive and Pine Avenue.
Shawn Culhane of the Ugly Grouper indicated June 21 they may open as early as 10 a.m. July 4, “because people are going to flock everywhere during and after the parade.”
Culhane said he expected the eatery, known for its grouper tacos, to be slammed that day, when two musical acts — the Stockton Brothers and the Tequila Boys — will be performing.
Two Scoops owner Taylor LaBell said the Anna Maria ice cream joint will offer a Captain America flavor and patriotic dipped cones July 4 weekend.
The eatery also will have “plenty of chili dogs ready to go,” LaBell added.
Ringing in retail
Retail outfit owners also are employing a mixed strategy for the holiday weekend.
Original Sand Dollar owner Julia Duytschaver said June 20 that the Holmes Beach boutique likely will close July 4 after a slow Independence Day last year.
Sun and Surf Beach Shop, across the parking lot from the Sand Dollar in the Island Shopping Center, will open 9-7 p.m. July 4, offering patriotic T-shirts, mugs and tote bags, salesperson Karen Klages said June 22.
While foot traffic to the shop has been heavy throughout the summer, the three-year salesperson said she expects even more visitors July 4 weekend.
Q’s Boutique will celebrate its first Independence Day at its new location in Anna Maria.
The shop moved from Bradenton Beach’s Bridge Street to Gulf Drive in the island’s northernmost municipality in May.
Owner Lisa Luu said the shop — which carries sunscreen, water and other beach-related items — will open 9 a.m. July 4 to accommodate paradegoers.
In Anna Maria’s Bayview Plaza, Two Sides of Nature and Two Sides of Nature Too — Two Scoops’ sister beach boutiques — also will cater to parade attendees.
“It will be busy on Fourth of July but our team is trained to get through lines quickly and we are ready to make our customers’ holiday memorable,” LaBell said.
On Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, Kelly Headley will hold down the fort at Cove, her art gallery and boutique, with an early closing July 4.
Headley said Bridge Street vendors will benefit from this year’s extended holiday weekend timetable.
“It’s a good schedule for business, people taking the whole weekend off,” she said. “Typically, on holidays, the day of we aren’t that busy, it’s usually the days surrounding the holidays.”
“I look forward to closing early to enjoy time with family,” she added. “Holidays, they’re a time to relax and enjoy life, time to let go of business and have some fun.”