10 reasons to attend the Bradenton Area River Regatta

From music to fireworks, the regatta, which runs all day Saturday on and around the Green Bridge, offers something for everyone.

There’s so much that you probably won’t be able to see everything, so here are some of the elements of the regatta that you might want to make a high priority.

It sounds like armies from Palmetto and Bradenton, armed with muskets and blunderbusses, will square off for control of the bridge. But this battle, while just as thunderous, is much more benign than an actual shootout.

Five local high schools — Braden River, Bayshore, Manatee, Lakewood Ranch and Southeast — will bring drumlines to the bridge. Starting around 5 p.m., they’ll battle for symbolic supremacy of the span.

The fireworks display will be synchronized to music (starting with “Come Sail Away” by Styx and ending with “Rock the Boat” by the Hues Corporation). The bridge, and the stage areas in both Palmetto and Bradenton, will have new sound systems so fireworks spectators will be able to hear every note of the music.

The fireworks come from Zambelli International, one of the best-known pyrotechnic companies in the business.

“They’ve put a lot of effort into this event,” Fethcko said.

Speaking of music, the biggest name on the entertainment lineup this year is Chuck Negron, one of the original members of Three Dog Night. (He sang lead on hits “Easy to Be Hard,” “An Old Fashioned Love Song” and “One,” among others.) Negron will perform at 5:45 p.m. on the Bradenton Riverwalk, in the area where the Bradenton Blues Festival is held every year, just before the fireworks.

On the Riverwalk, there’s a full day of live music with sort of a ’70s and ’80s flavor to it. Besides Negron, the lineup includes Let’s Groove Tonight, an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute act from Pittsburgh.

Fetchko has worked with them before and says they’re great.

Before and after the regatta, Mattison’s City Grille will host parties, and you’re invited.

On Friday evening, regatta drivers and their boats will be at Mattison’s, with music by Billy Rice.

On Saturday, Mattison’s hosts a “Rock the Boat After Party” with live music from Let’s Groove Tonight, that Earth, Wind & Fire tribute band.

Both parties starts at 7 p.m. There’s no charge, but reservations are suggested. Call 941-896-9660.

On Saturday, race fans can fuel up at Pier 22’s onsite beer garden, which opens at 11 a.m. and features draft beers and specialty cocktails underneath a shaded tent at the entrance to the pier. The Bradenton Riverwalk is an alcohol-free zone throughout race day.

And on Sunday, Pier 22 hosts a Winners Circle Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes omelets, malted Belgian waffle dishes, sandwiches, burgers and salads.

For reservations go to pier22dining.com/reservations or call 941-748-8087.

While we’re on the subject of music, over in Palmetto, near the foot of the Green Bridge, another stage will feature country music throughout the day. The headliner is Vegas McGraw, a Tim McGraw tribute act. Vegas McGraw’s real name is Adam D. Tucker, and he’s opened for Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and a lot of other big names. He caps the day at 5 p.m. on the Palmetto stage.

You don’t have to know the sport or the drivers to get caught up in the energy.

“It’s the sights and the sounds,” Fetchko said. “You’ll be captivated by the sights and the sounds and the power.”

If you’re not a boat racing aficionado, you may not realize it, but you’ll be the envy of Formula 2 Powerboat Racing fans all over the country.

The Manatee River course is the only one on the circuit that goes under a bridge that spectators can stand on. So you can get a closer look at the action than fans anywhere else, as you stand on the Green Bridge and watch as the boats speed by underneath you.

In fact, Sam Winer, the president of the Powerboat Superleague, recently said that the Manatee River course was the best on the circuit – for both racers and spectators.

Besides the powerboat races, there’s flyboarding (flyboarders soar 100 feet in the air, with nothing but a board beneath them, Fetchko said) and jet ski competitions.

This isn’t the kind of thing that will draw you to the festival, but if you’re thinking of going it will probably help tips the scales.

If Saturday’s weather is pleasant, about 100,000 people should gather around the Green Bridge and the surrounding areas for the regatta.

That’s a lot of people, about twice the population of Bradenton and seven times the population of Palmetto.

But organizers say that people shouldn’t be put off by the size of the crowd. It should be easy to navigate.

“But what you need to keep in mind is that they’re not all there at once,” Fetchko said. “They come in waves.”

Two free air-conditioned shuttles will loop back and forth across the bridge to keep the crowd moving. You won’t have to navigate crowds and walk the length of the bridge to get from Bradenton to Palmetto. People can get on at well-marked boarding points at the each end of the bridge.

Parking should be easier than ever, Fetchko said. And because people come and go during the day, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a space on streets or in public lots in Bradenton or Palmetto. But there are other options. Each year, more and more churches and non-profits have started to make their parking areas available for the regatta. There will usually be a small charge, but the money goes directly to the church or non-profit, so you can pick one you want to support.

Details: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Feb. 3, on and around the Green Bridge between Bradenton and Palmetto. Free. bradentonarearegatta.com.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 2:53 PM with the headline "10 reasons to attend the Bradenton Area River Regatta."