I am going across the Cortez bridge drawbridge today to mainland Bradenton. As I drive over the bridge I always glance over to the Bradenton Beach Marina to check out the boats they have moored on their jetty. On the mainland side of the bridge the watersports centers and boat trips are based. On the edge of the intracoastal waterway, parasailing and jetskis vie with dolphin tours, kayaking and fishing trips out into the Gulf for business. A few hundred yards further on turn right into Cortez village. This has been a fishing village since the 1920s and has that old Florida way of life and architecture that proved so evocative as a film location for George Clooney's movie "A Perfect Storm".

On my way back to Anna Maria Island I am going to stop off at Cortez Village to buy some freshly caught fish for lunch. I have some great recipes from "What's Cooking in Cortez". You can buy it at the shop in the village.

The Cortez Village Folk Art Festival will be celebrating on Saturday, November 15, 2008 and we will be enjoying the music, food and new exhibits, arts and crafts. It will be a great chance to do some Christmas shopping. All you need to bring is your appetite, a few dollars, some sunscreen and a lawn chair!

Cortez has a long history of folks making great music. The entertainers will include: Something Special, Myakka, Maple Mountain Music, Motley Crewe Sea Chanties, Richard Culbreath & Heather Doig and the Richard Culbreath Group. Cortez fisherman "Goose" Culbreath won the State of Florida Folk Heritage Award in 1992 for his music and although he's no longer with us, there will be other great Cortez musicians performing. To hear Goose play "Granny Will Your Dog Bite" go to www.cortezvillage.org