Your Weekend Fix: 7 fun things happening around Bradenton (July 19-23)
They’ve been working on the railroad ...
Museum, that is. The brand new Florida Railroad Museum will get a groundbreaking this Thursday. The new station includes a ticket office, sales area, real train cars and memorabilia, plus a 5,000-square-foot freight room.
Details: 9 a.m. Thursday. Florida Railroad Museum, 12210 83rd St. E., Parrish. Free. 941-776-0906. frrm.org.
Double bill of Bradenton talent at Burnt Orange
Independent Jones is filling the live music gap in Bradenton this summer with three pop-up concerts. Round two will bring Nathanael Hyer & The Rail Car Choir, a new band from Bradenton, and local favorites Faceless Bandits together at Burnt Orange Sound Studio on Saturday. There are only 40 tickets available, so don’t lollygag!
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday. Burnt Orange Sound Studio, 6003 28th St. E. Unit B, Bradenton. $15. facebook.com/independentjones.
Party like a martian
Mars is making a close approach to Earth this weekend; the next one like it won’t occur until 2050. Robinson Preserve is a perfect place to see our little red neighbor. Hang out at the new Robinson Preserve expansion as park staff point their telescopes skyward and share amazing views. The planetary lineup will also feature Saturn, Jupiter and Venus.
Details: 10 p.m.-midnight Saturday. Robinson Preserve, 10299 Ninth Ave. NW, Bradenton. Free. 941-724-5923. robinsonpreserve.com.
End the week like a geek
The Bradenton Marauders will hold two nights of nerdy fun with a “Geekend” on Friday and Saturday. Night one is “Heroes and Villains” themed, and fans (and their dogs) are encouraged to arrive dressed in their best costumes. An award for best hero and best villain will be awarded in the human and canine categories. Saturday is Star Wars night. Events include a Chewbacca jersey auction and a meet and greet and photo ops with Vader’s First, a group of very dedicated Star Wars enthusiasts in top notch costumes. Let’s just say they’re the most lifelike storm troopers you’ll see in this galaxy ...
Details: 5:30 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. LECOM Park, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. $6-$10. 941-747-3031. bradentonmarauders.com.
Little Mermaid
A production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” takes the stage at Manatee Performing Arts Center this weekend. The play is the grand finale of MPAC’s Broadway Bootcamp summer program for students 17 and under.
Details: Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton. Adults” $12. Students: $8. manateeperformingartscenter.com.
Saturday night jazz
Roger Harrison will be back at CopaMoca this Saturday, and this time he’s bringing his whole trio. Grab a bite to eat and cool off with some jazz in Village of the Arts.
Details: 8-10 p.m. Saturday. CopaMoca, 1506 13th St. W., Bradenton. Free. 941-778-4454. copamoca.com.
Local actor on the big screen
Troy D. Williams once played varsity basketball at Southeast High School, but these days he has a different pursuit: acting. His first full-length movie has a local premiere Monday at AMC 20 Bradenton. The political thriller is called “The Watchman’s Edict,” and it follows the story of an investigative journalist digging into a government conspiracy.
Details: 7 p.m. Monday, AMC Bradenton 20, 2507 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton. $12. tugg.com/events/the-watchman-s-edict-1avj.
This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 12:28 PM.