All you need to know about the boat races on the Manatee River this weekend. And the fireworks

The Bradenton Area River Regatta returns for its sixth outing on the Manatee River on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Watersports are the heart of the all-day festival, but it’s also full of live music, food and drink, fireworks and family fun.

New additions this year include a family 5K walk and run, a new class of speed boat racing and fresh entertainment.

Here’s all you need to know before you go to the 2020 Bradenton Area River Regatta.

Events and locations

The schedule for the Bradenton Area River Regatta is packed with activities, some of which overlap, so you may want to plan out your day ahead of time.

Here’s this year’s lineup:

BRADENTON EVENTS:

▪ DeSoto Little Anglers Fishing Tournament — 8:30 a.m. at the Green Bridge Fishing Pier.

▪ Dog “Frisbee” shows — Noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the Bradenton Riverwalk Main Lawn.

▪ Stunt dog shows — 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Bradenton Riverwalk Amphitheater.

▪ “Distinguished Daredevils Variety Show” — 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Bradenton Riverwalk Ampitheater.

▪ Pittsburgh Pirates/Bradenton Marauders Family Fun Zone and Area Food Festival — 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Bradenton Riverwalk main lawn.

▪ Kristen Smoyer, 2016 World Flyboard Champ — Noon-5 p.m. on the Manatee River between boat races.

PALMETTO EVENTS:

▪ Vintage Powerboat Show — 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at Riverside Avenue/Riverside Boat Ramp.

▪ Palmetto Family Fun Zone with the U.S. Army, U.S. National Guard and kids’ rides — 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at Riverside West Park.

▪ LECOM Regatta Bridge Run 5K — This new event will kick off at 5:30 p.m. in Palmetto on 10th Avenue West between Fourth Street West and Fifth Street West. The 5K will take runners and walkers on a scenic route over the Green Bridge and back. Registration is required ( and cheaper in advance).

Runners will be timed, and the top 100 female and 100 male finishers will compete for prizes.

Age-bracketed kids’ races will happen before the 5K starting at 5 p.m.

All participants in the athletic events will receive a food and drink ticket and access to a VIP area for the fireworks show.

Details: Onsite registration begins at 2 p.m. Kids’ races at 5 p.m.; 5K at 5:30 p.m. $20-$40 day of event. Visit bradentonarearegatta.com/lecom-regatta-bridge-run for more info.

ON THE RIVER:

Powerboat races can be viewed from both sides of the Manatee River.

This year, the event organizers are mixing things up with a new class of speedboat racing: Jersey speed skiffs. The skiffs require a crew of two for competition, travel at speeds of around 80 mph and get a lot of air, according to the American Powerboat Association.

The skiffs will replace the Powerboat Superleague Formula 3 series featured at past regattas.

The Formula 2 boats will be back, once again beginning the sport’s 2020 championship series at the regatta.

Some prime places to watch the races are Bradenton Riverwalk, the Palmetto Pier, Riverside Drive and the Green Bridge, which will be closed to vehicle traffic all day.

Schedule:

▪ Powerboat race test runs — 10:30 a.m.-noon.

▪ Qualifying heats — Formula 2 at 1 p.m.; Jersey speed skiffs at 2 p.m..

▪ Championship races — Formula 2 at 4 p.m. and Jersey speed skiffs at 5 p.m..

▪ Zambelli Fireworks Spectacular — 6:50 p.m.

Fireworks will be visible from both sides of the river, and the Green Bridge will remain open to pedestrians during the display.

Live music

Music kicks off at noon in Bradenton and Palmetto and goes all day long. Pick a spot and settle in or go stage-hopping and create your own concert experience.

Bradenton Riverwalk Pavilion Stage

Noon — Couch Music Foundation Education Students;

2 p.m. — Delaney and Friends;

3 p.m. — The Klick Band pays tribute to The Beatles;

4 p.m. — “Bowie Live” — a David Bowie tribute (headline act);

5 p.m. — Sam Woolf;

5:20 p.m. — Shaman Band pays tribute to Abba.

Palmetto Main Stage

Noon — Couch Music Foundation Education Students;

2 p.m. — Trevor Bystrom and Firewater;

3 p.m. — Billy Rice Band pays tribute to George Strait;

4 p.m. — Andy Pursell Band (headline act);

5:15 p.m. — Soul Circus Cowboys.

Sutton Park

2 p.m. — Michael W. Smith — New this year, The Manatee Players are adding to the day’s festivities by presenting a special ticketed performance at Sutton Park. Contemporary Christian musician and three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith will take the stage.

Tickets are $29.50. Call 941-748-5875 or visit manateeperformingartscenter.com to purchase.

What (and who) to bring

If you plan to spend all day at the festival, it’s best to know the lay of the land.

Personal coolers and food are allowed, but personal alcohol is a no-go. Law enforcement may check coolers. Never fear — there will be a beer garden set up inside the event.

And while you can bring your own food, there will be tons of tasty offerings on site including the addition of food trucks this year.

Pets are also OK, but they should be well-behaved and leashed.

And how about those weather preparations? At the moment, Feb. 8 is forecast to be cool and cloudy, with a high around 70, a low around 55 and a 30 percent chance of rain, according to The Weather Channel. There’s still plenty of time for that to change, though.

Parking

Free parking is available throughout downtown Bradenton and Palmetto.

Some good bets in Bradenton are the City Centre Parking Garage (Third Avenue West and Old Main Street), the Riverwalk parking lot off of Third Avenue West (east of Manatee Performing Arts Center) and the lot off of Riverfront Boulevard (by Mattison’s City Grille).

Check the City of Bradenton’s website for more public parking locations.

In Palmetto, look for parking on Riverside Drive.

The Green Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Feb. 8, so motorists seeking to get across the river will have to use the DeSoto Bridge.

Where to party

Regatta day drinks and dining at Pier 22: For suds on the Bradenton side of the river, visit Pier 22’s beer garden opening on Regatta day at 10:30 a.m.; happy hour specials will be available inside the restaurant from 3 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday night, Regatta fans are invited to dine al fresco for the fireworks show and a second performance by flyboarder Kristen Smoyer. This time, Smoyer will be decked out in neon lights.

Details: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8. Pier 22 Restaurant, 1200 First Ave. W., Bradenton. Reservations recommended. pier22dining.com.

Other restaurants close to the action include:

▪ Oak and Stone, 1201 First Ave. W., Bradenton

▪ O’bricks Irish Pub & Martini Bar, 427 12th St. W., Bradenton

▪ Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille, 101 Riverfront Blvd. # 120, Bradenton

▪ Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant, 995 Riverside Dr., Palmetto

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 8:21 AM.