Fall’s cooling breezes make Manatee County all the more appealing for harvest-time festivals like the Manatee Riverfront Art Festival. There’s also a grand party held each year at Bradenton’s Waterfront Park, complete with a parade, fireworks show and boat and ski demonstrations. For more information on community events, visit www.ManateeChamber.com.

In addition to the multitude of cultural arts events, museums and festivals that abound in Manatee County, the region also enjoys more than its share of outdoor recreational opportunities. Boating, golf, big league sports and more ensure that Manatee County’s visitors and residents enjoy year-round entertainment.

Because Manatee County is virtually surrounded by water and threaded by various waterways, boating and fishing are amongst its most popular activities. Some 30 plus marinas and eight boat ramps are available to serve this thriving pastime, making it all the easier for anglers to access the Gulf of Mexico, not to mention the region’s bays, rivers and bayous. The inland waterways and gulf shore provide fertile fishing grounds for such tasty favorites as pompano, flounder, redfish and trout. The Gulf of Mexico yields larger catches, including grouper, tarpon, mackerel and kingfish.

Golf is also another favorite pastime, and with more than two dozen public and private courses from which to choose - not to mention at least 200 more within a short drive - Manatee County and its neighboring communities are a virtual golfing paradise.

Manatee County’s city and county parks feature a wide array of other sporting activities, including tennis, basketball, racquetball, softball, volleyball and even flag football. For the community’s more senior members, the Parks and Recreation Department even coordinates the Gulf Coast Senior Games, a series of events fashioned after the Olympics. Those hoping to brush up on their tennis game can take advantage of the instruction offered at the renowned Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy, which features lessons for all ages and skill levels at its Bradenton facility.

There’s no shortage of professional sporting events for visitors and residents of Manatee County to enjoy, either. In the spring, crowds flock to award-winning McKechnie Field where the Pittsburgh Pirates hold their spring training and exhibition games. There’s also the opportunity for Major League Baseball spring training enjoyment in nearby Sarasota, where the Sarasota Red Sox train. And within a half hour’s drive to the north, fans of America’s favorite pastime can visit Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A variety of summer leagues also play throughout the county.