River Regatta, Cortez Fishing Festival and other events around Bradenton this month
The Bradenton Area River Regatta, one of the biggest local events of the year, returns on February 16 and 17.
Power boat racers will take to the Manatee River, while a host of family-friendly activities and live music will be staged in Bradenton and Palmetto.
The regatta is just one of the fun event options on tap this month.
Other highlights include the return of the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, the Thunder by the Bay charity concert and motorcycle bash in Sarasota and Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church’s 40th annual Glendi celebration.
Here’s a look at what’s in store.
Bradenton Area River Regatta
Billed as “Manatee County’s Largest Spectator Event,” the Bradenton Area River Regatta will return with a splash in 2024.
In a new twist, this year’s regatta will have an opening night party on Friday, Feb. 16 featuring an illuminated drone show visible from Bradenton and Palmetto and a performance by Fleetwood Mac tribute band Sweet Fleet on the Bradenton Riverwalk.
The LECOM 5K Run and Walk will take place at 8 a.m. on Saturday in Bradenton and the annual DeSoto Little Anglers Fishing Tournament will return to the Palmetto Pier.
The main event on Saturday will bring high-speed watersports and powerboat races to the Manatee River, as well as live music and family fun in both Bradenton and Palmetto.
Regatta visitors can also enjoy family fun zones, a local food festival, stunt dog and daredevil shows and more.
Music performances will go all day on stages in Bradenton and Palmetto. This year’s lineup includes tribute acts to Fleetwood Mac, The Blues Brothers, Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift.
Details: Main events begin at 7:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 and 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 17. Regatta takes place on both sides of the Manatee River, in Bradenton and Palmetto, near the Green Bridge. Free.
Info: BradentonAreaRegatta.com
Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival
Home to colorful cottages, popular seafood restaurants and sweet views of the Intracoastal waterway, Cortez is one of Florida’s few remaining active fishing villages. As such, the area is steeped in maritime history.
Started up in 1981, the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival celebrates the community’s legacy with live blues, rock and country music, nautical arts and crafts, children’s activities, seafood and other tasty eats and drinks.
Educational marine science “Dock Talks” are offered all day, and this year’s festival will also include a “Fishermen’s Fashion Show.”
The festival benefits the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, a Cortez nonprofit that supports one of the last undeveloped pieces of coastline in the area: the FISH Preserve.
Details: Saturday, Feb. 17 and Sunday, Feb. 18. Festival is held on 46th Avenue West at the end of 123rd Street in Cortez. Ages 13 and up: $5. Ages 12 and under: Free.
Thunder by the Bay
This annual bash at the Sarasota Fairgrounds celebrates motorcycles and rock ‘n’ roll in the name of charity.
The event features a full three-day lineup of live music. Grand Funk Railroad will headline the festival on Saturday, Feb. 17.
The festival grounds will have over 100 vendors, a bike show, freestyle stunt riders, a food court and a bar, organizers say. Crowds can also watch Universal Championship Wrestling and motorcycle-themed events including a “stereo sound-off” contest and a burnout contest. Inside Robarts Arena, also on the festival grounds, visitors will find “Thunder Alley,” a display of custom motorcycles, cars and trucks.
The final day of the festival includes a charity motorcycle ride that ends at the fairgrounds. The festival benefits Suncoast Charities for Children, which distributes funds to area nonprofits.
Details: Friday, Feb. 16 to Sunday, Feb. 18. Sarasota Fairgrounds, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. $10 presale; $15 at the gate. Ages 12 and under: free.
Info: ThunderbytheBay.org
Circus Sarasota
The Circus Art Conservatory’s annual spectacular at Nathan Benderson Park, Circus Sarasota, will return in Feb. 2024 for its 26th year.
“Sarasota’s hometown circus returns under a brand new, custom-designed Big Top for another year of high-flying action, heart-stopping thrills, laugh-out-loud comedic antics, and acts that defy both expectations and the boundaries of physical limitations, performed by artists from around the globe,” an event preview says.
Performers for this year’s three-week showcase include acrobatic hand balancers, horseback riding, a quick change magic duo, juggling, flying trapeze, hula hoop art and a clown act.
Details: Friday, Feb. 16 to Sunday, March 10. Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. $24-$64. Children under two: free.
Info: CircusArts.org
Pittsburgh Pirates spring training
The Pittsburgh Pirates will return to their home away from home at LECOM Park this February for spring training. That means locals and visitors will have a chance to head to the stadium and watch the team batter up against competitors like the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Details: Spring training home games scheduled from Sunday, Feb. 25 to Monday, March 25. LECOM Park, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Individual game tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 19. Season and multi-game tickets available.
Live shows and concerts
MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER:
▪ “Temps, Tops, Supremes & Smokey: A Motown Revue with the Soul Sensations.” Thursday, Feb. 15 to Sunday, Feb. 17.
▪ “The Glass Menagerie,” a play by Tennessee Williams. “A cramped apartment. A family struggling to escape the past. And a gentleman caller who brings the one thing they all desperately crave – hope.” Thursday, Feb. 29 to Sunday, March 10.
FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE:
▪ “The Lehman Trilogy.” “Winner of a Tony Award for Best Play, ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ is the story of a family and a company that changed the world.” Showing now through March 29.
▪ ”The Flip Side.” “With songs like ‘I’m My Own Grandpa,’ ‘The Ballad of Sigmund Freud,’ ‘Still Gonna Die,’ ‘Killed by a Coconut,’ and others, this offbeat Cabaret pays tribute to some of the best comic songwriters of the 20th Century.” Showing now through June 16.
▪ “A Night in November.” “One of the most highly acclaimed Irish comedies, ‘A Night in November’ is a hard and humorous look at ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland during the 1990s. Showing Wednesday, Feb. 21, to Friday, March 15.
Info: floridastudiotheatre.org
VAN WEZEL PERFORMING ARTS HALL:
▪ Tuesday, Feb. 13: Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes
▪ Wednesday, Feb. 14: An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee
▪ Thursday, Feb. 15: Sarasota Orchestra presents “Celebrate 75”
▪ Saturday, Feb. 17: Chris Botti Live in Concert
▪ Sunday, Feb. 18: Dianna Krall
▪ Monday, Feb. 19: Detroit Symphony Orchestra
▪ Wednesday, Feb. 21: Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
Info: vanwezel.org
Do you have an event to add to the list? Send an email with details to rballogg@bradenton.com.
