Over 200,000 people turn out for Manatee County's biggest festivals every year. Here's which ones are worth your Saturday.
That number only counts the headliners. Add the art walks, night parades, chili cook-offs, and pumpkin patches, and something lands on the calendar nearly every weekend from October to May. This is the running list, in the order it happens. For what's on this week, check our things to do in Manatee County this month roundup.
The year's best, up top
BayFest, Oct. 17: Pine Avenue closes for Anna Maria's biggest street party, now in its 25th year.
Festival of the Skeletons, Nov. 6-7: Altars, shrines, and a Frida Kahlo tribute fill the Village of the Arts.
Manatee County Fair, Jan. 14-24: Eleven days of livestock barns, midway rides, and a cookie kitchen regulars swear by.
MLK Celebration Weekend, Jan. 15-17: The Palmetto Youth Center marks its 70th year with a parade, block party, and gospel concert.
Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, Feb. 13-14: Fried mullet and dock talks in a fishing village that never stopped working.
River Regatta, Feb. 19-20: Formula 1 boats top 120 mph on the Manatee River, with fireworks to close Friday night.
BAM!Fest, April 3: A mile of live murals, music, and makers along the Riverwalk.
De Soto Grand Parade, April 24: More than 150 entries roll down Manatee Avenue after dark.
Anna Maria Island BayFest (October, Pine Avenue)
The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce closes Pine Avenue for the island's largest and longest-running festival, now in its 25th year. Expect live music, food trucks, beer and wine, an arts-and-crafts market, and a classic car show.
The music goes until 9 p.m., so the evening sets are the ones to catch. Parking near Pine Avenue disappears early, so the free Anna Maria Trolley is the easier way in.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Location: Pine Avenue, City of Anna Maria
Admission: Free
Pumpkin and harvest festivals (October, East County)
Two farms open their fields on October weekends, and they're different outings.
Hunsader Farms is hosting its 35th annual Pumpkin Festival on County Road 675 this year It's the bigger, busier one, with live entertainment, vendors, and even camping on the grounds. This year's opening weekend was canceled, which leaves the last two October weekends.
Dakin Dairy Farms in Myakka City turns its working dairy into a harvest festival. One ticket covers the corn maze, the Moo Train, hayrides out to the cow pasture, live cow-milking demos, and lawn mower racing. The pumpkin patch, sunflower U-pick, and pumpkin cannon cost extra.
Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival
Dates: Oct. 17-18 and 24-25, 2026, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton
Info: Hunsader Farms
Dakin Dairy Farms Fall Harvest Festival
Dates: Oct. 17, 18, 24, and 25, 2026, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: 30771 Betts Road, Myakka City
Admission: $20; kids 5 and under free; free parking
Info: Dakin Dairy Farms
Festival of the Skeletons (November, Village of the Arts)
The Village of the Arts' biggest community event of the year turns 22 this fall. The galleries fill with shrines and altars, food trucks park along the streets with musicians strolling between them, and pop-up vendors sell one-of-a-kind art. Friday is the after-dark night, and Saturday gives you daylight for the altars.
This year's Community Village Shrine honors Frida Kahlo. The Memory Wall is open to anyone who wants to remember their own loved ones, so bring a photo or a few written lines. Come dressed in your Día de los Muertos best, and get there early: the first 300 guests get free festival goodies.
Dates: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, 6-9 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: Village of the Arts, Bradenton
Admission: Free
The Manatee County Fair (January, Palmetto)
The 2027 Manatee County Fair opens Jan. 14 and goes 11 days, through Jan. 24, at the fairgrounds in Palmetto. Opening day is free.
It's the oldest event on this list by a wide margin. The first fair opened Feb. 28, 1916, went dark during World War II, and came back for good in 1951. Attendance now averages around 100,000 a year, and the record of 116,565 has stood since 1990.
Expect 4-H competitions, livestock shows, pageants, local exhibits, and a full midway. The livestock barns say more about the county's farm roots than anything else on the grounds. Regulars point to the petting zoo, the Arts & Crafts building, and the history exhibits in the Harllee Barn. The tip that keeps coming up: find the cookie kitchen in the Arts & Crafts building. Our Manatee County Fair guide has the full rundown.
Dates: Jan. 14-24, 2027
Location: Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W, Palmetto
Admission: Varies; opening day free
The Bradenton Area River Regatta (February, Bradenton Riverwalk)
The county's largest free spectator event routinely tops 100,000 people across a February weekend on the Manatee River. Now in its 12th year and presented by LECOM, it's part powerboat race, part block party.
Formula 1 tunnel boats hit over 120 mph while two music stages play at once. One sits at Rossi Park on the Bradenton Riverwalk, the other at Riverside Park in Palmetto. A free trolley shuttles across the Green Bridge all Saturday, connecting both cities. "Friday Night Flash" brings tribute bands, a Sky Elements drone show, and a Zambelli fireworks display over the river. Saturday adds racing from noon, more music, food vendors, and a free awards concert at the Palmetto Marriott.
The Green Bridge has the best sightlines for the racing, while the Riverwalk Splash Park is the spot for Friday's drone-and-fireworks show. Get there before it starts, because the riverside fills fast. Saturday road closures begin at 4 a.m.
Dates: Feb. 19-20, 2027
Location: Bradenton Riverwalk (Rossi Park) and Riverside Park, Palmetto
Admission: Free
Bradenton seafood festivals (January to March)
Winter brings three seafood festivals in three months. One's on the beach, one's in a working fishing village, and one's a big park party. Here's how to tell them apart.
Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival (January, Bradenton Beach)
Paragon Festivals brings a weekend of seafood and live music to Coquina Beach. Vendors cook on site: seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes, plus sides, drinks, and desserts. Between sets, walk the marketplace for arts, crafts, gourmet food, and specialty goods. No outside food or drinks allowed.
Dates: Jan. 22-24, 2027 (Fri. 4-10 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.)
Location: Coquina Beach, Gulf Drive South, Bradenton Beach
Admission: Free
Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (February, Cortez)
Since 1981, Cortez has thrown a festival for the commercial fishing industry that built it.
Most Florida coastal events sell a curated "Old Florida." Cortez doesn't have to. It's a working waterfront that never stopped, lined with fish houses run by families whose names are still on the boats. The Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage organizes it, and every dollar goes back into restoring 100 acres of coastal habitat. Expect live music, nautical arts and crafts, locally caught seafood, a fisherman fashion show, and "Dock Talks" from UF Fisheries and Florida Sea Grant.
The tip that gets passed around: ask for the Cortez Hotdog, fried mullet on a bun with a secret tartar sauce and crispy coleslaw. It's not on any printed menu.
Dates: Feb. 13-14, 2027
Location: In front of Star Fish Company Market & Restaurant, Cortez
Admission: Free ($5 suggested parking donation)
Manatee County Seafood and Music Festival (March, Bradenton)
If Cortez is the heritage version, this is the party version. The festival is set up at G.T. Bray Park March 12-14, 2027, with live music, fresh seafood, and a boutique arts-and-crafts market. Regional bands play rock, country, reggae, and blues all weekend, and vendors cook seafood, vegetarian dishes, and desserts on site. G.T. Bray stays roomy even at peak.
Dates: March 12-14, 2027
Location: G.T. Bray Park, 2910 51st St. W, Bradenton
Admission: Free
WonderWall Mural Fest (March, Village of the Arts)
WonderWall returns for its second year on Saturday, March 6, 2027. The first one, in March 2026, left the district with five permanent murals painted in real time, at spots including the Federal Market, Bits & Pieces, Embodied Health, and Jerk Dog Records, plus four temporary plywood murals. The Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County and the Artists Guild of Manatee partnered on it.
"WonderWall is about bringing people together through creativity," said Dave Shiplett, president of the Artists Guild of Manatee.
The Village's food and drink scene rounds it out, with Flamingo Bay Brewery, Birdrock Taco Shack, Arte Caffe, and Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen among the stops. Our Village of the Arts guide covers the rest.
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2027, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Location: Village of the Arts, Bradenton
Admission: Free
BAM!Fest — Bradenton Art and Music Festival (April, Downtown Bradenton)
This free, all-ages celebration of local creative talent stretches a full mile along the Bradenton Riverwalk, from the Green Bridge to the DeSoto Bridge. Expect live music on multiple stages, large-scale live art, hands-on activities, food vendors, a makers' market, and pop-up performers.
The live painting is the draw. Mural artists work on large-scale pieces throughout the day, and you can meet them, hear about their process, then come back to see all eight finished works side by side.
The festival splits into zones: Eco Park at the Great Lawn (touch tanks and manatee rescue education), the Art Tower for live painting, the Mosaic Amphitheater for performances, Rossi Park for lawn games, the Atomic Bazaar Market, and Sandcastle Beach by the Tiki Bar. The Eco Park is one of the better family areas at any free Florida festival. See our full BAM!Fest 2027 guide.
Date: Saturday, April 3, 2027, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Location: Bradenton Riverwalk, Green Bridge to DeSoto Bridge
Admission: Free
The De Soto Heritage Festival and Grand Parade (April, Downtown Bradenton)
Tampa has pirates. Bradenton has conquistadors. The Hernando de Soto Historical Society formed in 1939, and the festival has been a Bradenton fixture ever since.
The festival fills April and builds to the De Soto Grand Parade: more than 150 entries and over 100,000 spectators watching illuminated floats roll down Manatee Avenue after dark. It's one of the largest and oldest parades in the Southeast. The society puts the festival's yearly economic impact at more than $2.5 million, and floats throw somewhere between 2.5 and 3 million beads.
The festival also includes a children's parade in Palmetto, a "City Capture" ceremony where De Soto's Krewe takes the key to the city on Old Main Street, and the black-tie De Soto Ball. On parade day, a Pre-Parade Block Party fills Old Main Street at 3:30 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. step-off. Delegates from Barcarrota, Spain, de Soto's hometown and Bradenton's sister city, attend each year.
Fair warning: chairs appear on Manatee Avenue days early. Stake your spot early, reserve dinner downtown well ahead, and bring a poncho.
Dates: April; Grand Parade on Saturday, April 24, 2027, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Downtown Bradenton, along Manatee Avenue
Admission: Free
Seasonal farmers markets around Manatee County
The festivals get the crowds, but the markets fill the weeks in between. From October through May, a full circuit of farmers and public markets sets up around the county, and all are free to walk into.
Downtown Bradenton: The Bradenton Public Market takes over Old Main Street on Saturdays.
Anna Maria Island: Coquina Beach Market sets up Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Anna Maria Community Farmers Market is Tuesdays at Roser Church.
East Bradenton: Mixon Farms Market, the county's newest, opens every Sunday at the old Mixon Fruit Farms.
Lakewood Ranch: Main Street Market lands one Saturday a month.
Palmetto: The Waypoint Artisan Market returns on second Saturdays.
In season, you can hit a market most days of the week. For days, hours, addresses, and parking, see our guide to Manatee County's farmers markets
More on the calendar
The headliners are only half of it. Here's the rest, by season.
Holidays
Sundown Get Down and Christmas Tree Lighting (Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, 2-8 p.m.): AMI South End lights the official tree on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, and Santa makes an appearance. Free.
Winter Wonderland (Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026): Falling "snow," student performances, and holiday shopping on Old Main Street. Free.
Winter Nights Under the Lights (December): Acres of holiday lights, a gift market, hayrides, and Santa at Palma Sola Botanical Park. Free or suggested donation.
Sundown Get Down and Christmas Tree Lighting (Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, 2-8 p.m.): Bradenton Beach’s monthly street party closes Historic Bridge Street for live music, local vendors, food, and drinks, and November’s edition adds the official tree lighting and a visit from Santa. Free.
Winter
Bradenton Cigar Box Guitar Festival (Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027): Homemade guitars and the players who build them, at the Village of the Arts.
Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training (February-March, LECOM Park): Technically baseball, but a sunny weekend game has a festival feel.
Spring
Music in the Park (spring Fridays, 6-8 p.m.): Free concerts at the Bradenton Riverwalk Pavilion at Rossi Park.
Manatee's Annual Taco Fest (May): More than 100 taco and food vendors, cocktails, live entertainment, and a petting zoo at the fairgrounds in Palmetto. Admission $10-$15; leashed dogs welcome. Taco Fest
Every month
Village of the Arts Art Walk: The first Friday and Saturday of every month bring galleries, pop-up vendors, food, and music across the district. Free and low-key.
Wanderlust Food Truck Festival: A rotating lineup of food trucks and music at Tom Bennett Park, first and third Fridays, 5-9 p.m. Free.
Palmetto festivals and events
Palmetto fills its own calendar, from car shows to chalk art:
MLK Celebration Weekend (Jan. 15-17, 2027): The Palmetto Youth Center celebrates its 70th anniversary year with the county's biggest Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The MLK Banquet opens it Friday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. The MLK Parade steps off Saturday, Jan. 16, at noon, with the PYC Block Party (food, music, and fun) right after. A gospel concert closes the weekend Sunday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m.
Palmetto Chalk Art Festival (Jan. 23-24, 2027, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.): Around 12 to 15 professional chalk artists spend a weekend making large-scale murals on the pavement at Sutton Park, with the streets closed so you can watch each piece develop. Plus a special-edition farmers market, food trucks, and a free kids' chalk area.
Palmetto Main Street Motor Fest (Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.): The second year at Sutton Park, after a debut that drew more than 150 vehicles and 700 people. Every make is welcome, with food trucks, music, raffles, and club and individual awards. Proceeds support local veterans and Feeding Empty Little Tummies. Spectators free; vehicle registration $10. Palmetto Downtown Main Street
Palmetto's Heritage Festival (March): Mail a letter from the 1880 Heritage Station Post Office with a one-day-only cancellation stamp, tour all seven buildings at Palmetto Historical Park, and try heritage crafts. The 2026 edition was Saturday, March 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at 515 10th Ave. W; 2027 date to be announced. Free. Manatee County Agricultural Museum
De Soto Children's Parade & Party in the Park (spring): The opening event of the De Soto Heritage Festival. Kids build floats and parade them from the fairgrounds to Lamb Park, followed by a Party in the Park with games, face painting, and Touch-A-Truck. Free.
Jerry Hill Memorial Kids Fishing Tournament (May): A free catch-and-release tournament for ages 5 to 14 at Tom Bennett Park. Over 200 kids register each year. Bait and lunch provided; loaner rods available.
Parrish festivals and events
Parrish is the fastest-growing community in the county, and its calendar is catching up:
Parrish Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony (Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.): A parade, veterans recognition, food trucks, and family activities. The route starts at the Fort Hamer roundabout, heads to Erie, and loops back down Fort Hamer Road. The ceremony follows at Parrish Community Park, 7550 Fort Hamer Road.
North Pole Express (select evenings, Nov. 27-Dec. 22, 2026): The Florida Railroad Museum's holiday train leaves Parrish at 5:15 and 7:15 p.m. for a "North Pole" with campfires, unlimited cookies and hot chocolate, a gift for every child, and Santa. Fares vary by date and class. Florida Railroad Museum
Parrish Heritage Festival & Chili Cook-Off (March): Now drawing over 5,000 people. The Heritage Day Parade steps off on Fort Hamer Road at 10 a.m. (free to watch). The Chili Cook-Off follows from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Florida Railroad Museum, where teams bring 10 to 15 gallons each and you vote. Admission $10; kids 12 and under free, sampling included. In 2023 it cleared over $32,000 for local beautification. It started when resident Tami Vaughan suggested doing something after the parade and was told, "It's your idea, you're in charge." Parrish Civic Association
Parrish Park Summerfest (August): The Parrish Area Business Alliance launched it in 2025 at Parrish Community Park: local businesses, food trucks, music, water activities, and Parrish history displays. Free (7550 Fort Hamer Road)
The full calendar, month by month
October: BayFest (Oct. 17); Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival and Dakin Dairy Harvest Festival (weekends through Oct. 25)
November: Festival of the Skeletons (Nov. 6-7); Parrish Veterans Day Parade (Nov. 11); Bridge Street tree lighting (Nov. 21); North Pole Express (from Nov. 27)
December: Winter Wonderland (Dec. 5); Winter Nights Under the Lights; North Pole Express (through Dec. 22)
January: Manatee County Fair (Jan. 14-24); MLK Celebration Weekend (Jan. 15-17); Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival (Jan. 22-24); Palmetto Chalk Art Festival (Jan. 23-24)
February: Motor Fest and Cigar Box Guitar Festival (Feb. 6); Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (Feb. 13-14); River Regatta (Feb. 19-20); Spring Training opens
March: WonderWall Mural Fest (March 6); Palmetto's Heritage Festival; Manatee County Seafood and Music Festival (March 12-14); Parrish Heritage Festival & Chili Cook-Off
April: BAM!Fest (April 3); De Soto Heritage Festival all month; De Soto Grand Parade (April 24)
May: Taco Fest; Jerry Hill Kids Fishing Tournament
August: Parrish Park Summerfest
Every month: Village of the Arts Art Walk (first Friday and Saturday); Wanderlust Food Truck Festival (first and third Fridays)
Frequently asked questions about Bradenton and Manatee County festivals
What festivals are in Bradenton and Manatee County?
The biggest are the Manatee County Fair (January), the Bradenton Area River Regatta (February), the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival (February), BAM!Fest (April), and the De Soto Heritage Festival and Grand Parade (April). BayFest and the Festival of the Skeletons lead the fall, and the Village of the Arts Art Walk happens every month.
Which Manatee County festivals are free?
Most of the big ones. BayFest, the Festival of the Skeletons, the River Regatta, BAM!Fest, WonderWall, the De Soto Grand Parade, and both the Coquina Beach and G.T. Bray seafood festivals are free. Cortez asks for a $5 parking donation, and the County Fair is free on opening day only. Dakin Dairy, Taco Fest, and the Parrish Chili Cook-Off charge admission.
What fall festivals are in Manatee County in 2026?
BayFest is Saturday, Oct. 17, on Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. The Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival and the Dakin Dairy Farms Fall Harvest Festival both run Oct. 17-18 and 24-25. Festival of the Skeletons fills the Village of the Arts Nov. 6-7.
When is the Manatee County Fair?
The 2027 Manatee County Fair runs Jan. 14-24, 2027, at the Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W, Palmetto. Opening day is free, and other days' admission varies. The fair has been held since 1916 and averages around 100,000 visitors a year.
What parades are in Bradenton?
The De Soto Grand Parade rolls down Manatee Avenue on Saturday, April 24, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. Palmetto holds the MLK Parade on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, at noon, plus the De Soto Children's Parade each spring. Parrish has the Heritage Day Parade in March and the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11.
Where are the seafood festivals in Bradenton?
Three happen each winter: the Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival in Bradenton Beach (Jan. 22-24, 2027), the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival in Cortez (Feb. 13-14, 2027), and the Manatee County Seafood and Music Festival at G.T. Bray Park (March 12-14, 2027). Cortez is the working-fishing-village version; the other two are music-and-food parties.
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