Lakewood Ranch honors heroes with parade, street party

If you’re a kid and you have a bicycle, you can be part of a parade on Sunday.

If you’re anybody else, you can still watch the parade and attend a block party.

Every year, Lakewood Ranch hosts a Memorial Day “Salute to Heroes” Parade that attracts thousands of spectators to Main Street.

This year’s parade is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday. You can start to get in the mood for the parade by hitting the block party on Main Street that starts at 6 p.m.

It’s too late to be a participant in the parade if you’re a grown-up, but bicycles and kids who ride them are always a big part of the Memorial Day festivities at LWR. Kids can enter right up to pretty much the last minute.

All they have to do is show up with their bicycles decorated for the occasion. The bicycles will be judged between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., and prizes will be awarded for the most patriotic bike, the cutest bike and the most original bike. Kids who don’t care about having their bikes judged can show up a little later and still take part in the parade.

Money raised at the parade and the block party will benefit Manasota Operations Troop Support (MOTS), the Denis V. Cooper Foundation and Braden River VFW 12055.

Details: Block party at 6 p.m., parade at 7 p.m. on May 28, Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, 8100 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Lakewood Ranch. Free. lwrcac.com.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch honors heroes with parade, street party."