October 21, 2025 | Entertainment, Festivals

Crowds welcome back Bayfest

Pine Avenue was filled with Bayfest attendees. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

ANNA MARIA – Beautiful weather, classic cars, live music, a wide array of vendors and great attendance made for a successful Bayfest celebration after last year’s festival was canceled due to the damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The 24th Annual Bayfest celebration on Saturday was hosted and organized by the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, with assistance provided by the city of Anna Maria, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the event sponsors and participants.

“Bayfest was a great success for Anna Maria Island,” Chamber President Terri Kinder said. “Part of the proceeds go toward our scholarship program. Our community was ready to embrace Bayfest after last year’s hurricanes. A big thank you to everyone who participated, came out to enjoy themselves and helped us make it an outstanding festival; and thanks to everyone who volunteered their time to help us make it one of the best Bayfests ever.”

Earlier in the day, Chamber board member Eric Cairns said, “It’s noon and the street is already packed.”

He attributed the high volume of early attendees to the picture-perfect weather.

The Chamber’s fundraising activities included beer sales and the first beer vending shift was covered by Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short, City Clerk Amber LaRowe, Executive Assistant Barbara Jeffries, Slicker’s Eatery owner Bob Slicker, Anna Maria Island Historical Society member Barbara Murphy and Bayfest volunteer Ingrid McClellan.

Short said this year’s Bayfest was another positive step in the city and the Island’s continued “return to normal” from the 2024 hurricanes.

Vendors and classic vehicles lined Pine Avenue from North Shore Drive to South Bay Boulevard, joined by many Pine Avenue businesses and restaurants, Roser Memorial Community Church, the Roser Food Pantry, Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

The Bill Mergens Memorial Car Show along Pine Avenue included the classic Batmobile from the 1960s “Batman” television show and dozens of additional classic cars, trucks and vans.

The food court in the Roser Church parking lot included local favorites Pizzano’s Pizza, The Freckled Fin, Poppo’s Taqueria, Topsail Steamer and Mixon Fruit Farms, joined by visiting food vendors that included Red Zeppelin Rockin’ Lobster Rolls.

At the Wildlife Inc. tent, volunteer Krista Carpenter held a kestrel (a member of the falcon species) and Jeanne Potter displayed a leopard tortoise, with Athena, the great horned owl, and E.T., the barred owl, perched behind them.

Throughout the day and evening, the live music stage at the Pine Avenue/Bay Boulevard intersection was graced by The Tropicats, Memphis Rub, Jack’d Up and The Dr. Dave Band.