Cortez, FL – The historic fishing village of Cortez will be bustling with experiential learning opportunities on Saturday, April 29.Between the Florida Maritime Museum (FMM) and the Cortez Cultural Center (CCC), families can experience two FREE, hands-on events in one convenient and memorable trip!

On FMM grounds, students from Rowlett Academies will teach families the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® through fun, interactive activities. Hands-On Habits is an engaging event that features activity booths visitors can move through at their own pace between 10:00 a.m. and noon, as well as scheduled student performances. More information about Hands-On Habits can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/720763376198213

Nestled in almost 100 acres of wetland preserve, the Cortez Village Historical Society will open up the CCC for their event Eco-adventurers Wanted! Running from 9:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., explorers of all ages are invited to engage with our natural environment through hands-on games and crafts, and can even explore the FISH Preserve with a guided tour! Experts from these great outreach organizations will all have fun booths with free activities for all ages: Manatee County Water Conservation, Parks & Natural Resources, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Organized Fishermen of Florida, Manatee County Libraries, West Manatee Fire Rescue, and more. Further information about Eco-adventurers Wanted! can be found here: https://fb.me/e/2M0i0mXEd

Food trucks will be on-site serving food and frozen treats for a fee.

Parking for both these events is free and plentiful at the F.I.S.H. Preserve parking. Heading West on Cortez road, visitors should take a left at 116^th St W—look for balloons marking the turn. Step-by-step driving directions can be found here: https://goo.gl/maps/kJAjSVChaZcqVvTc8

Suncoast Remake Learning Days is a 10-day festival of free events for children and families… think of it as the world’s largest multi-site open house from April 21 to April 30, 2023. Participating organizations in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties are hosting over 200 free, hands-on, educational events. Learn more about Suncoast Remake Learning Days here: https://www.gradelevelreadingsuncoast.net/project/suncoast-remake-learning-days/

The Florida Maritime Museum, located at 4415 119^th Street West in the historic fishing village of Cortez, offers a snapshot of old Florida through a collection of informative exhibits, educational programs, community events and research materials. Visit FloridaMaritimeMuseum.org for more information, or call (941) 708-6120.