Venice's 50th Holiday Parade Has a 100-Year-Old Grand Marshal, and the Centennial Keeps Going After It

"Who in Venice doesn't love an 18-month party?" That was Mayor Nick Pachota's case for stretching the city's 100th birthday over a year and a half, as reported by the Venice Gondolier.

That long party explains this year's holidays downtown. The 50th City of Venice Holiday Parade on Saturday, Nov. 28 is more than the usual Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's built as a centennial event: a gold theme, a 100-year-old fire engine out front, a commemorative T-shirt and a merchandise table in Centennial Park. It also arrives about two-thirds of the way through the celebration. The official celebration doesn't end until May 2027.

The birthday was July 1. The party runs until May 2027.

Venice has more than one founding date. The City of Venice's mayor history page says the Legislature approved a town charter on Nov. 21, 1925. The charter took effect July 1, 1926, and Venice went from town to city on May 9, 1927. The city treats July 1, 2026 as its official centennial date.

The city's centennial page runs the celebration from Nov. 29, 2025 through May 2027. That's why the events are spread out instead of packed around one weekend. Here's what has already happened:

• Jan. 21: The city and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce held the "Together Through Time, Venice at 100" dinner at the Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. S.
• Feb. 18: Venice Area Beautification, Inc. and the Venice Area Historical Society unveiled a John Nolen statue in Centennial Park, 200 W. Venice Ave.
• April 15: At the Centennial Park rededication, a monument time capsule was sealed. It holds the signed resolution, city memorabilia and that day's Gondolier, and it opens in 50 years.
• July 4: The city marked its own 100th together with America's 250th: a downtown parade, a picnic at the Venice Community Center and West Blalock Park, then fireworks.

The holiday parade is the next big public event on that list. It's the one most residents were going to attend anyway.

Why a fire engine is leading the 50th parade

The city's parade page says the 2026 theme, "Golden Traditions," marks three milestones in one night: the parade's 50th year, the city's 100th birthday and America's 250th.

The grand marshal matches the theme. Old Betsy turns 100 this year too. She served the Venice Fire Department until 1959, then moved to the reserve fleet and kept working. The city's account says she helped at the Christmas Eve 1968 fire at the Kash N' Karry across from the Venice Theatre. She was called out again in 1973, when both city fire engines were in the shop at once. These days she appears at ceremonies, mostly parades and community events.

Former city councilman and vice mayor Earl Midlam and his wife, Karen, have kept her running. The city's honor goes to all of them: Old Betsy, the Midlams, and the volunteers and caretakers who have looked after her over the years. The city and Venice Heritage, Inc. also put an Old Betsy Birthday Bash on the centennial calendar for Nov. 7 at 343 Nassau St. S., across from the Venice History Museum.

A full lineup, and one lane where you can't stand

Interest in the 50th was strong. The parade caps entries at 80 units, and it hit that cap on Oct. 5, eleven days before applications closed. Units are made up of residents, businesses and organizations, and you don't need to live inside city limits to enter. The city still needs sponsors, ushers and volunteers.

The parade steps off at 6:30 p.m. from W. Venice Avenue and Avenue des Parques by City Hall, heading east. It turns south onto Nokomis Avenue, then west onto Turin Street, and ends at Riviera Street by West Blalock Park. The city lists these viewing areas:

• Both sides of Nokomis Avenue, from W. Venice Avenue to Turin Street
• The westbound lane of W. Venice Avenue, from Nokomis Avenue to Harbor Drive
• The eastbound lane of W. Venice Avenue, from Harbor Drive to Avenue des Parques
• Both sides of Turin Street, from Nokomis Avenue to Riviera Street

One stretch is closed to spectators: the eastbound lane of W. Venice Avenue between Harbor Drive and Nokomis Avenue. It's kept open for emergency access and public safety drone operations.

There are two stages along the route, each with an MC calling out the units. The Main Stage is at Harbor Drive and W. Venice Avenue, and the second stage is at Nokomis Avenue and W. Venice Avenue. Judges from Venice Area Toastmasters Club 5486 pick six winners. Floats can't throw candy or trinkets. Participants walk them over and hand them out instead. This year the city is also using parade ushers to keep units moving.

Parade day, hour by hour

Downtown starts filling up in the afternoon. Here's the schedule for Saturday, Nov. 28, based on the city's posted times:

1. 2 p.m.: Every road on the parade route closes to traffic.
2. About 2 to 6 p.m.: The Venice Centennial Store runs a pop-up in Centennial Park.
3. 5:45 p.m.: The Elf Dash, back for a third year, runs 0.9 miles down the parade route. Registration costs $25 and closes at 6 p.m. on Nov. 27. Every runner has to finish within 20 minutes.
4. Around 6 p.m.: The Venice Area Chamber of Commerce starts its live stream.
5. 6:30 p.m.: The parade steps off.

The closures run from W. Venice Avenue at U.S. 41 all the way to Park Boulevard. They also cover the Nokomis Avenue cross streets from Miami Avenue down to Turin Street. The city's suggested detours are Tampa Avenue or San Marco Drive. The Circus Bridge stays open, so you can still get onto Venice Island. Traffic on the W. Venice Avenue Bridge will be diverted. Drivers at the North/KMI bridge are pointed toward the U.S. 41 Bypass, and from 6 p.m. they'll be sent under the bridge and back to the Bypass.

You can park at Venice High School, Centennial Park and Graser Park, but the city warns those spaces fill quickly. There's no parking at City Hall. The north lot at the Venice Community Center may have a few spaces, and the south lot is held for Elf Dash runners with a parking pass.

Centennial Park is the center of the season

The parade page is where the centennial shows up most, but Centennial Park is where the season happens. The park was rededicated in April and holds the time capsule. It's also where the holiday season starts and where a lot of it continues:

Venice MainStreet's 2026 community events calendar lists the boat parade for Dec. 5. The organizer's route map shows boats starting just north of the Albee Road bridge, heading south on the Intracoastal and turning around before the Circus Bridge near Marine Max. Public viewing is along the trails on both sides of the waterway and at Venice High School. You can't watch from the South Jetty or the Circus Bridge. The organizer's spectator page describes the route as running from Pop's Sunset Grill past Snake Island to Marine Max.

The Centennial Store is the easiest way to take some of this home. According to the city's announcement, the Cashier's Office at Venice City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave., is selling a centennial coffee-table book and a 50th Holiday Parade T-shirt for $20 each. A centennial-logo campfire mug and a centennial medallion are $10 each. Prices are plus tax, and the store takes cards and mobile wallets only. City Hall is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The store also has pop-ups at the Venice Farmers Market at City Hall on Nov. 14 and Nov. 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The book was written and compiled by Historical Resources Manager Harry Klinkhamer, PIO Lorraine Anderson and City Manager James Clinch. The medallion is antique brass and shows John Nolen's 1926 Plan of Venice. The book is also sold at the Venice History Museum, 351 Nassau St. S.

Still to come in 2027

Once the boats are docked, the centennial still has three more events on the city's calendar. All three look back at how Venice was built:

• March 25, 2027: "The Next 100 Years of John Nolen's Plan of Venice," a roundtable of experts and scholars at the Venice Community Center
• March 27, 2027: The Venice Area Historical Society's Venice Train Depot Centennial, with train- and circus-themed activities
• May 6, 2027: The City Centennial Closing Event, with cake and live music

Free centennial things you can do right now: the "Venice Turns 100!" exhibit at the Venice Museum & Archives, 351 Nassau St. S., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The Nolen statue and time capsule monument in Centennial Park are an easy stop on the way to the parade.

At Sarasota Neighborhood Experts, we track what's happening around Venice's downtown streets all year, from parade routes to what's next for the Nolen Plan. If family is visiting for the holidays and you'd like an easy way to show them around, or you want to talk through what's changing near you, let's connect. We're glad to share what we know.