An extension of the Bradenton Riverwalk will nearly double the length of the pedestrian-friendly pathway along the Manatee River, connecting the city’s oldest neighborhood to downtown Bradenton.
The Riverwalk’s extension to the historic Old Manatee district adds to ongoing efforts by local officials to create pedestrian-friendly interconnectivity between the various neighborhoods throughout central Bradenton.
“This is a viable downtown because of the pieces that have been put together, and it is important for the city to continue that growth as we go forward,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said.
Known as Riverwalk East, the project will extend the popular linear park by about 1.25 miles, take about two years to complete and cost about $7 million.
Johnette Isham, executive director for the organization Realize Bradenton that produces the event, hopes that by December the pandemic will have lessened to the degree that such drastic social distancing measures will not be necessary. If they are, however, she said the LECOM Park site offers that flexibility, and that last year’s event showed that the festival could be held safely under such measures.
“We wanted to keep the blues alive, not only for our community, but also for musicians,” Isham said.
Headlining on Dec. 4 is Bobby Rush, who is up for a Traditional Blues Album Grammy this year for 2020’s “Rawer Than Raw.” He won a Grammy in the same category as well as an Album of the Year Blues Music Award for 2016’s ”Porcupine Meat.” Rush was also featured in the Martin Scorsese-produced 2003 series “The Blues,” and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006. He can be seen playing himself in the 2019 film “Dolemite Is My Name,” starring Edd