SARASOTA, Fla., June 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nik Wallenda, the first person to walk across the Grand Canyon on a high wire, and Sarasota County resident and native, will be welcomed home in celebratory fashion. The Suncoast Charities for Children announced it will dedicate this year's 29th Annual Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix Festival Parade of Boats in honor of Wallenda. Scheduled for July 5, 2013 at 7:00 p.m., Wallenda will be the Parade's Honorary Grand Marshal. Edgar Hansen of Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" will serve as the Grand Marshal.
This year's parade is presented by Macy's and Sarasota Ford and will showcase more than 60 entries featuring race teams from around the world.
Wallenda successfully walked without a tether across a 1,500 foot, 2-inch wire at Little River Gorge near the Grand Canyon on Sunday, June 23, 2013. It was televised live exclusively on the Discovery Channel's worldwide network in 217 countries. Visit Sarasota County sponsored, in part, Wallenda's training at Sarasota County's Nathan Benderson Park.
To further celebrate Sarasota County's circus heritage, Circus Sarasota will have a float in the parade as well. Circus Sarasota has presented Nik Wallenda in his 2010 and 2013 hometown skywalks and is proud to be part of this celebration. The hometown circus arts organization will represent the legacy of our community in the boat parade with some of Nik's biggest fans, the students training with Circus Sarasota.
The parade will run from U.S. 301 to Gulf stream Avenue and will be televised live on SNN Local News. A block party, sponsored by The Observer Media Group, will take place at the corner of Lemon Avenue and Main Street from 5:00 p.m. - midnight.
For more information on the Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix Festival, visit www.suncoastoffshore.org. For more information on Sarasota County's rich circus history visit http://www.sarasotacircushistory.com/.
About Sarasota County
Located on Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast, Sarasota County offers a vibrant arts and cultural scene, a diverse array of culinary experiences and a variety of opportunities to take advantage of the clear waters and the great outdoors. Sarasota County provides the quintessential, laid-back beach getaway with numerous sprawling, white-sand beaches, including Siesta Key Beach, named "America's Best Beach" in 2011 by Stephen Leatherman, aka, Dr. Beach. Dubbed "Home of the American Circus," Sarasota County served as the headquarters for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus for 75 years, and visitors can experience its unique circus heritage first-hand by following the circus trail or catching a performance by one of two local circus companies. For more information on visiting Sarasota County, visit www.visitsarasota.org or call (800) 522-9799.