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| New Florida Blues Festival Announced for December in Bradenton Florida Bradenton's getting ready for the blues. On Saturday, December 1, 2012, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Realize Bradenton will host the 2012 Bradenton Blues Festival, a family-friendly day of inspired blues music, food and art at the redesigned Riverwalk, along the Manatee River in downtown Bradenton. "This is a great location for an outdoor festival, " says Dave Gustafson, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, explaining that the festival site, overlooking the Manatee River, can accommodate up to 2, 500 people. "It's also the perfect kick-off event to celebrate the completion of the Riverwalk redevelopment project. The Bradenton Blues Festival will definitely attract people from outside the region to our area; this will really be something special." The 2012 Bradenton Blues Festival is the result of many months of planning and "collaboration between a host of local organizations, businesses and community leaders, " says Isham. She explains that the idea for the festival was born after several meetings with Jack Sullivan, operations officer of the internationally acclaimed Blues Revue magazine, headquartered in Bradenton's Village of the Arts. Blues Revue promotes festivals nationwide, including the annual Tampa Bay Blues Festival. "After many conversations, Jack introduced me to Paul Benjamin, who founded and still produces the North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, Maine, " says Isham. "With their help and expertise, we've been able to pull in world-class artists for one heck of an inaugural festival." She adds that the music will feature national acts with a mix of local flavor. Food, art and educational initiatives will also be major components of the festival, says Isham. "We're partnering with Bradenton's cultural non-profits, and best restaurants and artisans to showcase the great culinary and artistic talent we have in Bradenton." She adds that on Friday, November 30, the festival will feature an outreach program to Manatee County high school students, entitled "Blues in the Schools, " during which festival musicians will share their talents and professional advice with area students. Isham says that funding for the festival will come from a number of sources, including commercial and individual patrons and sponsors, food and arts vendors, and T-shirt and poster sales. "The Bradenton Blues Festival is a major economic development strategy that helps promote the city of Bradenton and Manatee County as a great place to live, work, play, and visit, " says Isham. "Dozens of Bradenton-based businesses and organizations are supporting this event, " says Isham. "We're a close-knit family ready to rock our region with a world-class festival!" Sponsors to date include the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, Ad-VANCE Talent Solutions, Artefact Design, BGD Design, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, Blues Revue (the world's Blues Magazine), Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bradenton Herald, Bright House, Courtyard by Marriott, Fetch Pet Care, Iaboni Real Estate, Jacque and Al Vieira, Jeffcoat Blueprint, LA Events Inc., Manatee Apparel Graphics, Manatee Printers, Mary GrandPré, Richard and Christy Messer, Sarasota Guitar Company, Suncoast Gems, Turner Tree and Landscape, Tinsworth Orthodontist, and Zamikoff, Klement, Jungman & Varga. Businesses interested in joining the growing list of supporters should contact Johnette Isham at johnette@RealizeBradenton.com. Isham says that tickets for the 2012 Bradenton Blues Festival will go on sale in mid-March when the Bradenton Blues Festival website goes live with the announcement of the festival line-up. Graphic and web design have been donated by Realize Bradenton's design group of Artefact Design and BGD Design, the team responsible for the Realize Bradenton communications. The 2012 Bradenton Blues Festival is organized by Realize Bradenton, a non-profit organization that builds community and promotes economic development through collaborative events, strategic partnerships, and interactive strategies. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |