October in Pictures
October was a slightly spooky, fun-filled month here at Manatee County! I’m excited to showcase some of the incredible things happening in our community this fall.
Busy times at Manatee County Libraries
Exciting things happened at our libraries last month! We hosted the Hispanic Heritage Festival, opened a new maker space at Palmetto Library, and celebrated Rocky Bluff Library’s 25th anniversary.
Building careers and connections
In October we held our annual Parks & Natural Resources Career Night and we had a group of students from USF come visit us at the County to learn about what it’s like to work in local government.

We also recognized some bright talent in Manatee County schools: a team of students who will be representing the United States next month at the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge World Finals in Abu Dhabi!

Giving back and cultivating a vibrant community
We held our annual United Way Golf Tournament this month, to raise money for United Way Suncoast. Not only is the tournament always a great time, but we raised nearly $22,000!


We also recognized the Water-Wise Landscaping Awards winners, Lorna Alston (residential winner) and the Manatee County Beach Patrol Building (commercial winner). The awards program is designed to recognize homes and business in the community with attractive, water-conserving landscapes that demonstrate Florida-Friendly best practices.

Celebrating Halloween across the County
From our annual Goblin Gathering to the Howl’ween Pet Parade, we celebrated the fun of costuming up all over the County. Our Building & Development Services department also got very into the Halloween spirit this year!
Looking forward to November
I’m pretty sure November will be just as busy! Our Board of County Commissioners recently designated November 9–21 as Farm City Week. The celebration will highlight “Fresh Catch” this year, spotlighting the past, present and future of Manatee County’s seafood industry and working waterfronts. We hope to see you participate!

Thanks to everyone who made October a great month to be in Manatee County!

