Pickin' Picnic returns to Bradenton Riverwalk

Good Graeff is on a nationwide tour that includes concert dates in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Washington.

But before they play those dates, the Sarasota duo will be playing for free on Bradenton's Riverwalk.

Good Graeff is a made up of twin sisters Brooke and Britt Graeff. Brooke plays guitar, Britt plays cello and they both sing. They'll be the headlining act at the fifth annual Pickin' Picnic, which is scheduled for Saturday. They'll be taking the stage at 9 p.m. Local and regional bands will play before them -- Sam Robertson (3 p.m.) Michael Snayd (4 p.m.), Lady and Gentleman (5:15 p.m.), the Western Sons (6:30 p.m.) and Dropin Pickup at (7:45 p.m. ).

But there's lots more going on at the Pickin' Picnic eve before the music starts. The day gets going with food truck battle at 2 p.m.

"Four of our five food trucks will get a mystery basket of produce from the Bradenton Farmers market," said Holly Eisenmann, the events and services manager for Realize Bradenton, which organizes the event. "They won't know what's in the baskets until they get them. Then they'll have 30 minutes to come up with something tasty. They have to use at least three of the five items in the basket."

The food truck lineup for this year's Pickin' Picnic includes Ain't No Thang, which features "simple ingredients to create inspired taste sensations that nourish the body, mind, and soul," according to information provided by Realize Bradenton; Traveling Kitchen, which offers a traditional American menu and Latin-style pulled pork; Chefs2U, last year's food truck battle champion; B's Cool Treats, which serves desserts and frozen sweets and Amy's Catering, which "uses the highest quality ingredients to create the perfect menu."

B's Cool Treats is the only one that's not participating in the food truck battle, since it's a dessert food truck and can't be expected in a contest that's centered around produce, Eisenmann said.

While the battle is going on, representatives from Motorworks Brewing, Big Top Brewing and Darwin Brewing Company will offer samples of craft beer.

All that will be happening between 2 and 3 p.m. The food trucks and the breweries will stick around for the rest of the day and into the night, bands take the stage.

Einsenmann describes the music lineup as including singer-songwriters, folk, pop rock and indie music.

Vendors who are slated to be on hand for day include Alcover Massage, the Babe Cave Studio (handmade jewelry), Gravity Henna Tattoos, Clothesline Tees, My Beloved Boutique and artists from Village of the Arts.

Details: 2-10 p.m. May 7, Bradenton Riverwalk. Admission: Free. Information: RealizeBradenton.com/PickinPicnic.

Marty Clear, features writer/columnist, can be reached at 941-708-7919. Follow twitter.com/martinclear.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Pickin' Picnic returns to Bradenton Riverwalk ."