WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Dating back to 1948, the De Soto Children’s Parade has been a great source of joy for young ones in Manatee County. This tradition was created by the Hernando de Soto Historical Society and included children of all ages parading through what is now Old Main Street to where Pier 22 sits. While the Hernando De Soto Historical Society also facilitates the De Soto Grand Parade, this parade puts the kids in charge.
The parade once featured children from cradle to 12 years old with four classes to enter. The first class covered birth to toddlers, Class Two covered three to eight years, Class Three entrants were eight to twelve years, and Class Four was the floats category. The 1949 Children’s Parade float division winner depicted “The Old Woman in the Shoe.” Bradenton Trailer Park manager, Bobbie Broiler, designed the float with trailer park resident Reine Osgerby driving the float in costume. Six children rode in the shoe, peeping from the top and through windows in the heel.
In 1959, the Children’s Parade moved from Bradenton to Palmetto, now starting at the Manatee County Fairgrounds and ending at Sutton Park. This parade route is approximately a mile long.
Today, the De Soto Children’s Parade entrants are geared toward early learners aged preschool through elementary school. Floats of all shapes and sizes are designed and built in schoolrooms or homes to be marched down the historic streets of Palmetto. This difference with this year’s Children’s Parade is that groups can also join, not just a class or school. You’ll see dance groups and sporting teams represented in addition to classes.
“The goal this year was to expand. That’s why the theme is Manatee’s Got Talent. We didn’t want to restrict the theme because we didn’t want to deter a group from participating or make them feel they don’t have the chance to win a prize. With it being so open, we have more chances of greater participation and awards granted,” explains Gus Sokos, Executive Director for the Hernando de Soto Historical Society.
In the past, there have been five different categories. The divisions for this year’s parade have yet to be solidified, but the float winner will still earn a spot in the Grand Parade, keeping tradition with previous years.
Once the parade is finished, there is a “Party in the Park” hosted by the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC). This year they’re looking to expand the party to include more schools and activities for kids. Some of the fun activities included in the party are a giant bubble foam machine, free food, and the ELC’s very own book bus to give out free books. A plethora of community agencies will also be there to hand out resources, host little games, and educate families on various topics.
“I have been involved with this parade since my children were at Stewart Elementary, and I’m very excited to be involved in the strategic planning of this long-standing event through the ELC,” says Hilarie King, Community Outreach Coordinator at the ELC.
When asked about future plans for the Children’s Parade, Gus discussed having older, middle school-aged children get involved in growing the parade even larger. He also toyed with the idea of having a float from the Grand Parade join in as a non-judged float to ramp up the excitement and fun.
As an organization whose primary focus is children, the Hernando de Soto Historical Society has helped many locally in need. They recently hosted a toy drive that benefitted 30 families this past December. What made the drive extra special was how they went out to deliver the toys on their enormous pirate ship, a staple in the Grand Parade. They’ve partnered with The Vision Foundation, Adopt-A-Family, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Feeding Empty Little Tummies (FELT), Kiwanis Kids Against Hunger, who provide 15,000 meals each year, and Dive Into Reading with Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
While the Society mainly provides grants to these organizations, they’ll also provide the staffing. For Dive Into Reading, volunteers will help children in the summer school programs develop their reading skills. They’ll also provide volunteers to help run PACE Center for Girls’ Lucky Duck race.
A new nonprofit organization, Beds for Kids, has been a beneficiary of the Society’s fundraising. It was started by a Manatee County Sheriff’s Department officer. When the sheriff’s department goes into a home and notices a child who does not have an adequate sleep space, they’ll provide beds, sheets, and pillows for those kids.
“It’s heartbreaking to know there is so much need in our community,” says Gus.
Another large part of the Hernando de Soto Historical Society’s mission is preservation. According to Gus, the ten-year plan is to build and replicate the headquarters space they used to have in Downtown Bradenton to use as a museum display area for their historical artifacts. Their website description of “Conquistador Square,” the new space, talks about “a place where future generations can visit so that they never forget the past.” Other benefits to this space will be the ability to hold weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and any other special event.
“Kids are a big part of what we want to include in this,” Gus says, referring to the future generations being able to observe and study the history they have preserved all these years. “Preserving our history ties in with our future goals. These artifacts have been saved for a reason, and we want to continue doing what we’re doing.”
Gus credits ELC and CEO Darrell King for their involvement and how integral they have been in current and future endeavors. “ELC have been an amazing part of that. Especially Darrell, who has been amazing as far as what his future goals are in the partnership with us. It has been beyond what we expected and hoped to do.” 
