Joining Forces for the Fourth - Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown

Bradenton and Palmetto are joining forces to put on fireworks over the Manatee River Saturday, capping the Independence Day celebrations of each city. We speak with Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Of course, just
about any town of any science has a Fourth of
July celebration planned, especially this year with the nation's two
hundred and fiftieth anniversary. Palmetto and Bradenton are collaborating with
Manatee County and the Tourist Development Council on their big
celebration Saturday, July fourth. We're speaking with Bradenton Mayor Gene

(00:21):
Brown about what's going on in his city and along
the Manatee River for Independence Day. And Mayor Brown, thank
you very much for joining us.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Thank you for having Mejordon, I appreciate the opportunity to
tell about all each sitement going on now.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
First the centerpiece, your two cities and the county and
Tourist Development are working together to synchronize fireworks over the
Manatee River on the night of July fourth. Correct you.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Every year we always work together with Palmetto and Manateee
County and do a five July fourth in the years back,
but this year who've obviously came together to celebrate the
two hundred and fifth it's in a much bigger way
and then really celebrate our town and give opportunity for
all of our community to come out and watch a
fireworks that's going to be far none the largest ever

(01:10):
in Manateee County.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Now, you've got activities along the river walk and they're
getting under way in the late afternoon, and you also
are going to have a designated viewing area on the
Green Bridge, which you're going to be closing off at
sunset so people can actually go out over the river
to see the fireworks. Correct.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, what we decided this year was we have to
have kind of that zone where the fireworks won't hit anybody,
but we're going to allow on our side of the
Brandon side to kind of walk up onto the bridge
kind of even with the Peer restaurant out there, where
you'll be able to see where the going off from
the old Green Bridge which is now the Fishing Pier,
So you'll be a front row view that nobody's ever

(01:51):
had before.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
And that's going to cap off a whole day of
events on both sides of the Manitee River. On your side,
I understand you've got festivities, food trucks, play area for
the kids, VIP area, and some live entertainment.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Definitely on our Rossie Park area we have going to
have a lot of activities starting at five o'clock and
going till ten, but at nine it'll break for the fireworks,
and then all along River Walk, down by the day
Doc area and on Great Lawn there'll be kids activities
and it will actually flow into starting at seven on
Main Street bands on Main Street where activities will be

(02:31):
going on there. So it'll be the first time that
we've actually engaged from the Rossie Park all the way
down to Main Street, and that's what I'm excited about.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
And that was one of the things we had the
chance to speak with you a few weeks back about
the dedication of the City City project, and one of
the things that you have been focusing on and the
city's been focusing on, is trying to get people circulating
in different parts of the downtown and along the river
Walk to kind of have a movable feast if you

(03:04):
were getting people have opportunities to entertain and be involved
all along the city's downtown and riverfront.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Areas, right, And that's one of the things we've been
working As we talked from City Park Leecom area, how
do we make this walkable and when you have events
like this where you've got the whole river Walk almost
engaged all the way to the street, and it'll filter
over in Becom area and then Village of the Arts
just by happenstance. But people will be able to park

(03:34):
wherever they want, walk and have activities, and you know,
there'll be more adult activities on main Street, more family
friendly on Rossy Park area and the river Walk area,
but cumulating into the obviously the fireworks. Fireworks are going
to be the largest we've ever had in Manateee County
that you know, we've baticularly three to four times more

(03:55):
than we have normally, and I'm just excited. It's still
be the thirty minutes, but it'll be just celebrating two
hundred and fiftieth of a great nation.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
And those who do go out on the bridge, they'll
probably want to bring chairs. That's a little bit of
a hike.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, Now they'll be able to walk out, you know,
from Rossi Park up to the walkway right onto the bridge
probably you know, probably a good I don't know, quarter
of a mile up onto the bridge, because the bridge
is a mile long, so a little bit, probably less
than a quarter of a mile, you'll be able to
walk out put your chairs and and just I said,
you know, dream big watching those fireworks go off, and

(04:33):
just dreaming about what two hundred and fifty years of
what our forefathers started, and what the next two hundred
and fifty years is going to be, you know, for
our generations to come, is what excites me.

Speaker 1 (04:43):
Now. I realized that this is going to be special
because it is the two hundred and fiftieth. But what
what are the size of the crowds that you normally
draw for Fourth of.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
July right well on along our riverwalk and and all
of the areas you know, and you can go farther
down the river and homes and that can watch you.
But on the river walk, we estimated anywhere between twelve
and fifteen thousand people were there last year. I believe
we're going to be closer to forty thousand to fifty
thousand on both sides of the river this year, and

(05:13):
all along watching the these fireworks. I've heard talked to
many friends that normally travel at this time of the year,
but because of the activities, they're going to staying home
to be in town and really see the activities of
both sides of the river.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
I'm sure it's going to be quite an event, whether
you're watching from Bradenton or from Palmetto or from the
Green Bridge, and everybody's looking forward to that. And on
your side, things get underway at around five pm and
they'll be going on through the evening and then right
after the fireworks show at nine pm and then a
little bit of live music beyond that, So everybody's going
to be looking forward to that. Mayor Jean Brown of Bradenton,

(05:53):
thank you very much for taking the time to join
us on Beyond the News.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yes, sir, and thank you for having me