“Say I Do at the Blues” and Get Married on Stage
at the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival!
Realize Bradenton and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau partner on a national video contest for a winning couple to win a $6,200 wedding trip package.
BRADENTON, FL—To kick off the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival, Realize Bradenton, the producing force behind the Bradenton Blues Festival, and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau are unveiling a national “Say I Do at the Blues” contest. The winning couple, who must be U.S. or Canadian residents, 21 years or older and live outside of the state of Florida, will be married on stage at the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival on December 5, and be showered with a total prize package valued at $6,200. To enter, couples must submit a video explaining why they want to be married at the Bradenton Blues Festival. All video submissions must be no more than 120 seconds in length. Entries must be received by Monday, September 14, by 5 p.m. EST. The winning couple will be notified on September 24. For more information on how to enter, visit www.RealizeBradenton.com/blueswedding.
Johnette Isham, executive director of Realize Bradenton, explains that the 2014 festival attracted blues fans from 30 states and three foreign countries, and this innovative promotion will build on that momentum to continue to attract out-of-staters and visitors from Canada to enjoy the blues on the Bradenton Riverwalk.
The judges selected to view the video submissions include the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival headliner Janiva Magness, who is hailed by critics as one of the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today; veteran singer and songwriter Marcia Ball, who was the 2014 festival headliner; and Kim Frazer, a wedding coordinator and owner of The Perfect Settings, a wedding and event planning service, and The Perfect Dress, a bridal store in Sarasota.
Prizes include two $500 vouchers for roundtrip airfare for winners from out-of-state or Canada into the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, a four-night stay on Anna Maria Island, four VIP tickets to the Bradenton Blues Festival, a full wedding ceremony with cake and bouquet, a wedding photographer, gift certificates for nail and hair treatments, gift certificates to Bradenton-area restaurants, a winery tour, and certificates for area cruises and recreational opportunities.
The 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival returns to downtown Bradenton’s Riverwalk, December 5, 2015, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., with an all-star lineup that includes Janiva Magness, hailed by critics as one of the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today; harmonicist and songwriter Rick Estrin with his band, The Nightcats, thrilling audiences and critics alike with their fresh, original blues injected with a solid dose of gritty roadhouse rock and roll; guitarist and vocalist Joanna Connor, who is being called the most exciting new talent on the blues scene; multi-Blues Music Award-winner Mike Zito and his acclaimed band, The Wheel; Bluesman of the Year, guitarist-songwriter Larry Garner; the celebrated Mississippi vocalist and guitarist, James “Super Chikan” Johnson; “Girls With Guitars,” three electrifying musicians who are quickly conquering the blues world; and the teen brother-and-sister duo, Cole and Logan Layman, collectively known as In Layman Terms.
Gates open at 10 a.m. The music starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. Last year’s festival was at capacity, so organizers are stressing the importance of buying tickets in advance. Tickets for the 2015 Bradenton Blues Festival are the same as 2014: $30 in advance; $40 at the gate, cash only; $25 per person for groups of 10 or more; $20 for students; and $10 for children, ages 5-12. Children four and under will be admitted free. A limited number of reserved front-of-stage seats are available for $75 per person. Tickets are available online and at Keeton’s Office & Art Supply, 817 Manatee Ave. West, in Bradenton. For more information and to buy tickets online, visit www.BradentonBluesFestival.org.
About Realize Bradenton
Realize Bradenton is a nonprofit organization that brings people together to create a vibrant and prosperous Bradenton area. For more information, visit: www.RealizeBradenton.com.
About the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key area is located on Florida’s West Coast between St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is bordered on the north by Tampa Bay, and to the west by the Gulf of Mexico. Easy to get to, but off the beaten path, filled with “Old Florida” ambience brimming with opportunities to experience Florida at its most real and authentic, the Bradenton/Anna Maria Island/Longboat Key area is a part of the state worth discovering and exploring again and again.
