After COVID Cancellation, Bradenton Area River Regatta Returns To Manatee County Saturday

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Manatee County’s largest spectator event, the Bradenton Area River Regatta, returns to the banks of the Manatee River Saturday after being cancelled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This free family-friendly event offers high-speed watercraft racing, interactive activities, musical entertainment and fireworks from dusk to dawn, according to a news release from event organizers.

“The Bradenton Area River Regatta is returning to our beautiful shorelines this week, and we cannot be more excited,” Groover Bryant said. “The postponement of the event in 2021 left a definite void and the anticipation has been building for this year’s event for more than a year. We are grateful to have it back.”

Brown added, “It has been a long, difficult year and the return of this prestigious event has everyone looking forward to this year’s event.”

The regatta has historically drawn more than 100,000 spectators to downtown Bradenton and Palmetto each year, having an economic impact of nearly $10 million in the region, Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said.

The days high-speed races will feature F-2 powerboats competing in the Powerboat Superleague, the oldest and most respected racing circuit in the F-2 division, event organizers said. It’s the largest single-day racing event on the American Power Boat Association circuit.

A new racing class, SST-45 “Formula Lights,” has been added to this year’s regatta. These smaller, lighter watercrafts are nimble, but powerful, as they hit speeds of about 70 miles per hour.

World Flyboard Champion, Kristen “The Destroyer” Smoyer, will perform stunts throughout the day to entertain spectators.

Headlining musical acts include the Blooze Brothers and Almost “Abba” tribute bands on the Bradenton Riverwalk Pavilion Stage and the Andy Pursell Band in Palmetto. Other acts include Sam Woolf, the Randy McNeeley Band, the American Made Band, Happy Few, Under the Moon, Citrus Ave, Moxy, Del Couch Foundation student musicians and Bella Garland.

The De Soto Little Anglers Fishing Derby kicks off the day’s events at the Palmetto Fishing Pier. Other activities include the Pittsburgh Pirates/Bradenton Marauders-sponsored Family Fun Zones, the Hernando De Soto Historical Society food festival, performances by stunt dog troupes and an expo area sponsored by the U.S. Army and The National Guard.