While bands take precaution due to the heat, DeSoto Heritage Parade party goes on

Floats glided down an empty Manatee Avenue on Saturday night as the DeSoto Heritage Parade stretched down the usually busy street.

Crowds flocked the sidewalks, reaching out to wave or grab at trinkets being thrown from the floats. Every year, the parade attracts somewhere between 150,000 to 200,000 spectators. However, some in attendance said the crowd seemed smaller than in years past.

All the while, those watching and walking the parade route were wiping sweat off their brows.

The National Weather Service recorded a high of 94 degrees Saturday in Bradenton, setting a new record for April 29. It was still in the upper 80s when the parade got underway.

With so many students performing in the parade, several area high school bands took extra precautions to counter the heat.

The Manatee High School Marching ’Canes, for instance, did not march in full uniform. They still donned their white uniform pants, but were allowed to march in band T-shirts rather than in full jackets and hats, according to Robby Bennett, MHS band booster president.

An SUV loaded with coolers full of water stayed close by in case any of the marching band students needed to rehydrate.

“We tell them to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate before the parade itself,” Bennett said. “We have about 30 gallons of water that we’re going to be giving them.”

Other high school bands, such as Bayshore, still marched in full uniform, but adults could still be seen marching alongside carrying water bottles.

Just around the corner from Manatee High School, where the parade started, Denise Hall was celebrating not just the parade, but another special day — her birthday.

Hall’s family secured a shady spot at the corner of a parking lot and set up a tent with food lining the table. She said it’s the first time in about 10 years the family has all been together, and the timing just made it more special.

“I can’t express to you what it means, it’s pretty stinkin’ awesome,” Hall said.

The family used to watch the parade from the Peach’s location on Manatee Avenue, but Hall works for another location now and the family enjoyed the new spot Saturday evening.

Hall, Lora, Heather and their families stood behind the street barriers that marked off the parade’s path and caught beaded necklaces and other items tossed from the floats as they passed by.

The birthday and parade watch party was a surprise planned by her daughter, Heather Waite, and daughter-in-law Lora Waite.

“We figured that since it’s her birthday on Monday we would celebrate while everyone was out here celebrating the parade,” Lora said.

This story was originally published April 29, 2017 at 9:42 PM with the headline "While bands take precaution due to the heat, DeSoto Heritage Parade party goes on."