It’s SunFest week! The five days when the West Palm Beach waterfront transforms into the East Coast’s largest waterfront music festival.

50 bands playing in a five-day period is just the start of the fun, here are some things that you may not know about SunFest and West Palm Beach.

New & Old Music

Looking through the years of SunFest pictures that I have, I was surprised at how many old pictures I have of bands that are currently gaining popularity.

Sunfest attracts a lot of new talent, Huge crowds come out to see the headliners, but the real treat for music lovers are all the small and local bands which will be providing a close-up experience for their fans.

The Party Barges

There are two crowds of people who come down for SunFest. The people who come for the music, and the ones who come to party on the barges.

The three floating barges are set up in the intracoastal waterway and each have DJs who play different styles of music. When telling a friend where you are, you will be tempted to refer to the barge as “The Country Barge” or “The Rock Barge”, but take my word for it “South Barge”, “North Barge” and “Middle Barge” work best. I just stick to the middle barge, it’s easiest to find.

The party is ALWAYS on at the barges & when SunFest closes at 11 pm, Clematis Street is ready for action.

Discover Downtown West Palm Beach

Downtown West Palm Beach plays host to SunFest each year.  The eclectic Clematis Street district and City Place both make fantastic places to explore when you’re not rocking out to a band or partying on one of the barges.

From the great dining experiences to partying at the local clubs, to bowling at the fantastic new Revolutions, downtown WPB has something for everyone.

Catch a glimpse of the stars!

One of the benefits of being a small(ish) town is that if you hang out on Clematis Street you’re almost guaranteed to spot bands who are checking out the area.

Back at SunFest 2010 I was going to grab some coffee and bumped into the whole ZZTop crew at Starbucks. Being the classy guy that I am, I refrained from doing something as garish as taking a selfie with Billy Gibbons.

Local bars restaurants & clubs will also bring acts into town. In previous years Roxy’s Pub has brought Papa Roach & Snoop Dogg to perform. So after SunFest closes, you can be assured the party & live music will continue through town.

The ART

So maybe you’re not a big fan of music  or partying on the barges. Well, then you can come for the ART.

Starting Friday, the Juried Fine Art & Craft show features the work of more than 140 national artists. Their works include  jewelry, painting, pottery & ceramics, photography, sculpture, wood, arts and crafts, and more.

 

Run at the Sunfest 5k

So maybe you’re not a fan of Music, Partying on Barges, or Art! One of the coolest events at SunFest is the SunFest 5k which kicks off on Friday and includes entrance to SunFest.

NEW downtown course begins at Palm Beach Atlantic University, heads south and then turns onto the Flagler Drive. The finish line is in the heart of SunFest for all the Friday night fun.

Fireworks!

Don’t forget to look up for the spectacular Fireworks Show Sunday, May 4 at 9 p.m. This fireworks display is one of the most talked about events of the festival.

SunFest hosts one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast. Lighting up the night sky on Sunday, the fireworks display is set to music and simulcast on The Gator 98.7.