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Two waterfront festivals bring music, vintage culture to West Palm Beach waterfront
Summary
The Meyer Amphitheatre and Flagler Drive hosted two festivals — the 561 Music Festival and Vintage Vibes — featuring about 20 bands across two stages, vendors, classic-arcade attractions, classic cars and food trucks. Organizers said the events helped fill a gap left by the cancellation of SunFest.
Two festivals drew music, art and vintage attractions to West Palm Beach’s downtown waterfront at the Meyer Amphitheatre and along Flagler Drive on a Saturday, organizers and a local reporter said.
Organizers presented a two-part program: the 561 Music Festival featured roughly 20 area bands across two stages at the Meyer Amphitheatre and an array of vendor booths selling clothing, jewelry and artwork; Vintage Vibes, produced by Love the Palm Beaches in collaboration with the City of West Palm Beach and the Downtown Development Authority, offered eighties tribute bands, a fully stocked arcade and a lineup of classic cars and food trucks along Flagler Drive.
The events matter locally because they kept live music and street-level arts activity on the waterfront after SunFest — a recurring larger festival — did not take place this year, festival organizers said. The gatherings combined live music, retail vendors and family-oriented attractions that organizers and the reporter said helped draw residents and visitors to downtown public space.
At the Meyer Amphitheatre, the 561 Music Festival staged roughly 20 area bands on two stages while surrounding vendor booths sold a range of visual art and goods. The festival’s coverage noted vendors offering large canvases and digital prints, and a range of handcrafted clothing and jewelry. The report also noted that children’s books by NFL player Bridal Bryant were available at a vendor table.
Vintage Vibes centered on eighties-theme entertainment and nostalgia. Organizers and the reporter described tribute acts — including a group identified as Rubik’s and another referenced as Call Me Anything — plus an arcade with classic games such as Pac-Man and Frogger, air hockey and foosball. The Vintage Vibes footprint along Flagler Drive included arts-and-crafts spots, eighties-style photo areas, a line of classic cars and multiple food trucks. A small roller rink was also part of the setup.
An organizer speaking at the event summarized the motivation: "We're very passionate about the music scene. We're very passionate about the creativity of the original music scene. We, found out that Sunfest wasn't gonna happen this year, and, we decided to take, take that opportunity and keep the music going at the waterfront," the organizer said.
The reporter who provided the event account noted the hope among organizers that the waterfront appearances would continue: "And hopefully, the first waterfront stops for these totally awesome festivals won't be the last," the reporter said.
No formal permits, budgets, attendance totals or dates beyond the on-site Saturday reference were provided in the account reviewed, and no public-agency actions or votes were mentioned.
