Bradenton OKs 2018 regatta

City officials on both sides of the Manatee River are confident the Bradenton Area River Regatta could very well become Manatee County’s signature event.

Palmetto was the first to approve the event earlier this month and Bradenton followed suit on Wednesday with a unanimous approval, marking the first time the cities have provided an approval for the next year within weeks of prior event.

Going into this year’s regatta, there was some concern about whether the event would take a solid foothold as a major spectator event. The 2015 inaugural event was a major success, but rain and cold saw the 2016 attendance way down. Everyone was looking to this past February’s event as a defining moment and it did not fail with an estimated 80,000 people attending.

According to an economic impact study, this year’s crowd spent $5.3 million in the the two cities.

There was limited discussion before the Bradenton City Council moved forward with an approval other than some concerns about ongoing expenses. Jim McLellan, public works director, said costs were down this year and Mayor Wayne Poston said costs would likely continue to decrease with the event requiring less police presence due to a successful family-friendly branding.

Councilman Gene Brown has been a staunch supporter of the event and has attended all three years.

“Just seeing the atmosphere and improvements from year one to year three, it has been an unbelievable event for not just our town, but for the community,” Brown said. “We know in business that it costs money to make money so it’s important enough if there is a little cost. It’s growing and we are fine tuning our costs and it’s only going to get better.”

The Manatee County Tourist Development Council was the first to approve this year’s event with a $200,000 investment. That expenditure must be approved by the Manatee County Board of Commissioners, but it appears the 2018 Bradenton Area River Regatta is officially a go. The move allows permitting and organizing to begin much sooner than previous years.

This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Bradenton OKs 2018 regatta."