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Thunder by the Bay

25th Annual Thunder by the Bay Music & Motorcycle Festival

| Suncoast Post Staff |

The 25th Annual Thunder By The Bay Music & Motorcycle Festival kicks off on February 1 with the first, of four, fundraisers leading up to the three-day Festival (Feb. 17-19) raising money for Suncoast Charities for Children.

Events slated to take place include a “Taste of Thunder” tequila tasting/food pairing experience at Cask & Ale on Wednesday,  February 1; the Festival’s 9th Annual Sporting Clay Tournament at Knight’s Trail Park on Friday, February 3; a Thunder By The Bay “Rocks The Runway” Fashion Show at the Grove on Friday, February 10; and a “Born To Be Wild” Festival Kickoff Party on Friday, February 17, opening night of the three-day Festival at the Sarasota Fairgrounds.

Thunder by the Bay

The Festival offers continuous live music with two featured headliners: 38 Special (February 18 at 8 p.m.) and Colt Ford (February 19 at 3 p.m.) along with over 100 vendors, a 17-class bike show, and so much more. New to the Festival this year will be freestyle acts featuring professional mini FMX and BMX riders, a “Builders Row” featuring local custom bike builder Kory Souza of Kory Souza Originals, a vintage motorcycle display, motorcycle stereo sound-off competition, shows by Universal Championship Wrestling, a motorcycle slow race competition, and fun activities for kids. On Sunday, February 19, a motorcycle charity ride is scheduled to take place starting at Adrenaline Harley-Davidson and ending at the Festival.

In celebration of the Festival’s 25th anniversary, Suncoast Charities for Children has also launched a “25 For 25” Giving Campaign that will run through February 24. All monetary donations made to the charity will be matched dollar for dollar (up to $25,000) thanks to the generosity of the James M. Doss Charitable Foundation.  Over the past 24 years, Thunder By The Bay has raised $2.3 million for charity to help over 8,000 local children teens, and adults with special needs. In 2022 the Festival raised $267,000, which enabled Suncoast Charities for Children to provide allocations to The Haven, Loveland Center, Children First, The Florida Center for Early Childhood, Special Olympics, Venice Challenger Baseball, and the Suncoast Foundation.

Thunder by the Bay

Presenting Festival sponsors include Adrenaline Harley-Davidson and S&S Motorsports. Additional Festival sponsors include FCCI Insurance Group, Sarasota Ford, Sonny’s BBQ, Greg Linehan Law, Badger Bob’s Services USA Fence, United Rentals, Everglades Equipment, Hap’s Cycle Sales, Born To Ride, and Gold Coast Eagle/Budweiser. 

For tickets and Festival information: THUNDERBYTHEBAY.ORG | (941) 487-7904. 

To receive Festival updates: Text THUNDER to (941) 205-7223

Vicky Sullivan Photos

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