Bradenton is known for its annual events, with the most famous one being ArtWalk. This event occurs each year on the first Thursday of December and features art from more than 100 local artists in downtown Bradenton FL. The festival runs until January 20th when it closes up shop for a few months before reopening again to celebrate another season of creativity in April.
A great alternative that also takes place around Christmastime is the Festival of Trees, which typically happens during Thanksgiving week-end but this usually changes every year. Either way, if you’re looking to get into some holiday spirit then I would recommend either Artwalk or Festival of Trees as both are guaranteed to be fun experiences! There are plenty other annual events happening in Bradenton FL, including the Mango Festival and Tomato Festival which happen each summer.
Walking around downtown is also a great way to enjoy some of these events! All you have to do is stroll down main street when Artwalk rolls around or go check out live music at McKechnie Park during the evenings in June and July.
Bradenton’s Pinellas Trail runs along side many neighborhoods and it makes for an easy walk or bike ride past all sorts of local landmarks such as Pier 22, The Old Jail Museum, Riverfront Playhouse Theater among others. This trail can be enjoyed by locals but I would recommend it even more if you are visiting from out of town because there will likely be new things to see and explore.
