‘Something for everybody.’ New festival comes to Bradenton Riverwalk this weekend

A new festival will pack the Bradenton Riverwalk with art, music, food and fun for all ages this weekend.

The Bradenton Arts and Music Festival — BAM!Fest for short — will happen Saturday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., between the Green Bridge and the DeSoto Bridge. Admission is free.

BAM!Fest was dreamed up by the staff of nonprofit Realize Bradenton to replace the organization’s previous signature event, the Bradenton Blues Festival. The Blues Festival was discontinued in 2024 after a 12-year run.

Realize Bradenton Executive Director Karen Corbin says BAM!Fest will spread a colorful collage of activities across the Riverwalk, with something to offer everyone.

“We did a very deep dive into what should come next after the Blues Fest,” Corbin said. “The Blues Fest served its purpose, and I think it was amazing. However, moving forward, we wanted to open it up to a much wider audience so even more people would be interested.”

Corbin said the group hopes to spotlight Bradenton’s diverse arts scene — and the Riverwalk itself.

“The Riverwalk is such a beautiful place. It’s a place to bring people together,” Corbin said. “We felt that the perfect way to get people down there and show them all that it can be is with an arts and music festival. And we wanted to do it a little differently than anyone else.”

Here’s what you can expect to experience at BAM!Fest.

Festival brings music, art, food, shopping and more

BAM!Fest will section the Riverwalk into several themed areas, each with unique arts and activities to explore:

• Great Big Art: The Great Lawn, at the westernmost edge of the festival near the Green Bridge, will host a tent full of local artisans giving live demonstrations. The area will also have lots of interactive art, including mop painting, a community sculpture and graffiti art lessons. A DJ will provide music and food trucks will be set up in the area.
• Art Tower: Heading east, the Bradenton Riverwalk tower will be transformed into the “Art Tower” with four artists painting tall canvases hanging on each side of the tower and four more artists painting at easels on the ground. The area will also have a community mural to participate in and gentle music like guitar and violin.
• BAM!Slam: This area will center around the Riverwalk’s amphitheater, where musical acts and dance groups will perform throughout the day. Girl Scouts will sell popcorn and lemonade.
• Pavilion Party: At the heart of the festival, Rossi Park will host performances by four local bands throughout the day, including a Taylor Swift tribute band and local country singer Eric Von. Art will be displayed on 20-foot banners throughout the park, and festivalgoers can visit with the artists. The area will also have BAM!Fest merchandise for sale, food vendors and alcohol for purchase, including beer and signature “BAM!aRitas.”
• Meandering Market: East of Rossi Park, visitors will find a market featuring “specialty vendors offering one-of-a-kind treasures,” Corbin said, including Ringling College of Art and Design students. Bat City Comic Professionals, a local comic shop and education nonprofit, will also be set up in the area.
• Sand Castle Beach: At the eastern end of the festival, the Riverwalk’s beach volleyball courts will become “Sand Castle Beach.” A sand sculptor will create an “epic sandcastle” throughout the day. Visitors can also try their hand at making their own sandcastle with expert guidance. The area will have festive island music, food vendors and a tiki hut area with a shaded tent and drinks for sale.
• Food and drink vendors will be set up all along the Riverwalk, and there will be several food truck zones. There will also be strolling performers like jugglers and stilt walkers throughout the festival, Corbin said.

“It’s big and exciting, and it’s for families. And the big surprise is, this year it’s free,” Corbin said. “We had such a hard year with the hurricanes, and we wanted everybody in the community to be able to come down and enjoy the arts and culture that this area has to offer.”

Festival organizers are also encouraging guests to check out other things to do in downtown Bradenton that will be happening simultaneously on Saturday, including live performances at Manatee Performing Arts Center, the Village of the Arts Art Walk and open hours at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature and ArtCenter Manatee.

“This is a collaboration. We want to uplift everybody and drive more people to other parts of Bradenton,” Corbin said.

BAM!Fest continues Bradenton Blues Fest legacy

Launched in 2012, the Bradenton Blues Festival was Realize Bradenton’s signature yearly event for over a decade. It brought thousands of music fans downtown to see popular blues musicians from around the country.

The music festival was the brainchild of former Realize Bradenton Executive Director Johnette Isham, who died in 2023.

“The reason Johnette chose a festival was because the Riverwalk was just being built. And our charge was to activate the Riverwalk ... to get people down there and show them the spaces,” Corbin said. “And she did that, and it was hugely successful. Now we’re continuing with that vision as a nonprofit, to find ways to activate these public spaces.”

While some were sad to see the Bradenton Blues Festival go, its discontinuation led to the birth of two new festivals for Manatee County.

Bradenton Blues Festival co-founder Paul Benjamin is keeping the blues festival concept alive with the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival, which launched in December.

And now BAM!Fest, which organizers hope will be the start of an annual tradition, will bring something new to downtown Bradenton.

“What Realize Bradenton has done in its 15 years is to bring positive activities to Bradenton, and this will be another one of those,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said. “It will symbolize our arts and culture on the award-winning Riverwalk, and it will be something for everybody.”

BAM!Fest hours, parking and other info

Date and hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5

Admission: Free

Parking: Free parking is available at:

• City Centre Garage, 200 10th St. W., Bradenton
• Manatee County Garage, 414 10th St. W., Bradenton
• Judicial Center Garage, 615 12th St. W., Bradenton

Visitors are encouraged to use a ride-hailing service to get to the event. Use address 129 Riverfront Blvd., Bradenton or 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton.

What to bring: Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for watching music and bags to carry home art and purchases.

More info: RealizeBradenton.com/bamfest