A week’s worth of top gospel acts perform in Palmetto

Gospel music fans from around the country will once again be flocking to Palmetto in the coming days.

It’s time for Bill Bailey’s Winter Gospel Music Convention, which every year brings many of the top acts in Christian music to the Bradenton Area Convention Center. Besides people from Manatee County and around west central Florida who make day trips, the six-day event draws music lovers from around the country who arrive in RVs and attend the entire festival.

This will be the 31st year for the gospel music convention, and many of the acts performing this year have been audience favorites in the past.

Some of the big-name acts on the scheduled for this year are the Collingsworth Family and the Second Half Quartet (Wednesday), the Booth Brothers (Monday and Tuesday), the Kingdom Heirs (Friday) and Eric Haase & Signature Sound (Thursday).

All those concerts start at 7 p.m. and feature several acts in addition to the headliners. The evening concerts require tickets ($18 each or $95 for all of them), but the convention also features a free concert every afternoon, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Parking is $5 for each evening concert, but is free during the day.

Details: 1:30 and 7 p.m. Feb. 6-11, Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. $18 per night, $95 for a six-day pass. Six-day VIP passes $135. Children 3-11 $5 per night at the door. Afternoon concerts free. 941-756-6942, billbaileyconerts.com.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 5:21 PM with the headline "A week’s worth of top gospel acts perform in Palmetto."