In 2016, Realize Bradenton initiated a Dine Bradenton promotion to showcase the Village of the Arts, in downtown Bradenton.

A Market Analysis for downtown Bradenton was completed in December 2020. Funded by the Knight Donor Advised Fund at the Manatee Community Foundation and with the partnership of Realize Bradenton, City of Bradenton, and Manatee Chamber of Commerce.

Reconnect | Reimagine | Rediscover | Redevelop

Through Love This City Bradenton, Realize Bradenton will provide opportunities for the community to rediscover and reimagine Downtown Bradenton.

Local artists and creators are featured at the Bradenton Farmers’ Market each month to build their businesses and market their creations.

Encouraging Bradenton-area entrepreneurs with the tools and resource network to strengthen their neighborhoods through small-scale real estate projects.

The Start-Up Circle is an energizing business and project planning class designed for aspiring and newly established entrepreneurs.

A GPS-enabled mobile website that allows users to explore Bradenton’s unique mix of arts, history, culture, public art, and sports with 165 places to eat, shop, stay, and play.

The Bradenton Blues Festival Weekend, presented by BMO Harris Bank, returns to LECOM Park the first Saturday of December with an outstanding lineup of acclaimed blues musicians. Proceeds benefit youth + arts programs.

Dozens of people of diverse ages and backgrounds came together at Art Center Manatee to create clay fish that artist James Simon integrated into his 120’ mosaic mural “The Magic River,” which is installed on the north side of the City Centre Garage.

A team of Millennial residents and young landscape architects collaborated to design and build a temporary version of the neighborhood’s vision for the expanded Riverwalk. The resulting event allowed for action-research and welcomed the community to the future park site with activities focused on nature, music, history, and wellness. Resident engagement continues through 2020 with area colleges, neighborhood events, and public art.

Free outdoor concerts at the Riverwalk Pavilion take place in the spring. Come enjoy local music while watching the sunset over the Manatee River. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Explore the stories of heritage-rich places that frame the past and shape the future of Downtown Bradenton.

Since 2012, downtown’s art collection has increased from seven pieces of art to over 67 works of art for the community to enjoy.

Encouraging walking from the Village of the Arts to the Riverwalk to explore public art, restaurants, shops, historical sites, and galleries using WalkBradenton.com.

Support children’s books that use a two-generation approach of bringing children together with the adults in their lives to build reading readiness by learning LOCAL from Bradenton stories.

A visioning process facilitated by Realize Bradenton that involved artists, residents, property owners, merchants, and businesses and resulted in a framework to build economic strength, social cohesiveness, and cultural vibrancy within Village of the Arts.

Why have a meeting when you can be cooking and eating?! For a variety of projects – planning the city’s streetscape, Farmers’ Market outreach, the Giving Challenge – people from all walks of life come together with local chefs to cook, eat, and share ideas that shape the future of Bradenton.

A place where the community meets each week to enjoy fresh produce, local art, upbeat music, demonstrations by local chefs, and free family activities. Parking is free on weekends, and dogs on leashes are welcome.

Working with partners from many different sectors to welcome SNAP-eligible families to the Farmers’ Market. Children and adult participants will develop healthy habits through fun social activities like healthy cooking demonstrations, art projects, reading, and quality time at the Market.

Junior League of Manatee County’s monthly cooking sessions at the Bradenton Farmer’s Market that promote health and wellness by creating kid-friendly snacks in a fun, social setting.

Increasing fresh food access for low income households at the Bradenton Farmers’ Market by offering Fresh Access Bucks (FAB), a USDA-funded nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP spending on Florida-grown fruits and vegetables up to $40.

High school students and professional artists studied the history of our community and conveyed their findings through visual art and writing, which then became ten public art postcards placed along the Riverwalk when it opened in 2012.

Twenty-three teams of elementary, middle, and high school students develop a business plan to share their collective creativity with the public at an all-day event on Old Main Street.

Musicians from the Bradenton Blues Festival share their stories and a live performance with aspiring young musicians in area schools. This continues the legacy of blues music by inspiring a new generation of fans and interacting with professional musicians shows aspiring young people that they could have a future in the arts.

Sponsored by Bank OZK, this monthly breakfast features Bradenton-area Millennial “dreamers and do-ers” who share their story and aspirations via a live interview.

Children and families learn more about local authors and illustrators in an annual event that promotes literacy and reading together.

Pop-up events, statistical research, and public art helped accelerate important conversations on how to attract and retain young people to the Bradenton area.

Events and workshops by and for Bradenton-area Millennials that lead participants from interested to invested in the success of their community.

Public art series featured large-scale portraits of 23 Bradenton-area Millennials who reflect the demographic and occupational diversity of this generation. Each participant shared their ideas, perspectives, and priorities in an interview to amplify the voices and contributions of young people in this community.