Bradenton Get Into History & Art Video Production © Dreamtime Entertainment, Florida

The area's most vibrant artists' community, however, is the Village of the Arts in Bradenton. Local artists have restored many of the 1920s and 1930s bungalows, creating a multi-culturally rich neighborhood studded with studios where artists and artisans of all disciplines live, work and sell their wares. I pick up a "Texas-sized" muffin for $1.50 from Bonni Bakes Edible Art before joining one of the popular ArtWalks (held the first Friday evening and the first Saturday morning each month). Strolling from one gallery to the next, I pause occasionally to chat with the artists, who are more than happy to talk about what inspires them. The best part? I find some great deals on original artwork at a sidewalk sale. A few miles east of downtown Bradenton lies the Manatee Village Historical Park, a collection of historically important buildings that date back to the county's founding in 1855. Across the Manatee River, Gamble Plantation Historic State Park stands as the last remaining antebellum mansion in south Florida. http://www.dreamtimeentertainment.com DP John Paluzzi Editor Dave Beaty Producer Kimberly Powers © 2010 Produced By Insight Strategies & Dreamtime Entertainment 239-549-4081