This Memorial Day weekend, get the kids in the car, along with their bathing suits (and lots of sunscreen!) and head to Treasure Island Beach, Florida, the site of “Bands on the Sand.” . Featuring bands from all genres of music, including ’80s, southern rock, blues, country, reggae, and classics, this annual family-friendly music event is free to the public and gets bigger and bigger every year.
The event includes arts and crafts, a playground, food and drink, and a fireworks show at 10 p.m. It takes place right behind the Bilmar Resort on Treasure Island. Get there early so you can get the best seats possible, and more importantly, so you can enjoy the incredible weather on Florida’s beaches during the month of May. You can do a full day of the event with bands playing for 11 hours straight.
If you’re traveling without the kids, you can head to St. Pete Beach for a Memorial Day Weekend Pub Crawl, which sends bars up and down the beach in a relentless search for the best beer in town. Beach. Or if you’re satisfied with staying in one place and don’t mind big crowds, try Caddy’s on Sunset Beach, right between Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach. Caddy’s is also over 21 and over, but for those looking for that kind of scene, there’s always plenty of great music and more.
For those looking to travel to the area by boat, they can dock at John’s Pass Marina on Madeira Beach, just outside of Treasure Island. There you can visit the Gators, one of the area’s most popular beach bars on the water, and home to one of the largest gatherings on Memorial Day weekend. The drinks are nice and cold and the food is great. Gators is always one of the most popular beach bars in the area.
Whether you’re planning family fun in the sun at “Bands on the Sand” or enjoying the festivities for a more mature crowd, be sure to make lodging reservations early. Hotel rooms fill up very quickly. In fact, many of the luxury resorts in St. Pete Beach tend to raise their prices for Memorial Day weekend and other holidays. For that reason, you may want to consider staying at a Treasure Island Condo or Treasure Island Hotel – the area is less expensive than St. Pete Beach and offers an affordable way to enjoy Pinellas’ beautiful beaches.