Johnny Rawls, who plays Lakewood Ranch Bluesfest in Lakewood Ranch, Florida on Dec. 6, 2025. Credit: Photo via johnny.rawls2/Facebook

Bradenton Blues Festival may be a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that an effort can’t be made to relive those days.

This morning, Gulf Coast promotional company Independent Jones announced the second-ever Lakewood Ranch Bluesfest, which will happen at Waterside Park (about half an hour away from Rossi Park, where the original Bradenton Blues Festival took place) on the first Saturday of December.

The lineup includes The Blood Brothers’ Albert Castiglia, soul-blues veteran Johnny Rawls, and powerhouse vocalist Eden Brent.

The all-ages Bluesfest first materialized last year, in the wake of the death of Realize Bradenton founding director Johnette Isham, who helped stage Bradenton Blues Festival from its 2012 debut until her retirement 10 years later. After a “thorough analysis” of the 2023 festival—the first since Isham’s passing—reps at the nonprofit organization decided to axe the annual shindig in her honor.

Tickets to Lakewood Ranch Bluesfest on Saturday, Dec. 6 are now on sale and start at $75. Kids 12 and under get in for free, and a limited amount of front-of-stage tickets are available for $150.