The calm waters of Port Royal Sound will get a jolt of energy in the coming weeks with the return of one of the best summer events in South Carolina – the Beaufort Water Festival.
This will be the 67th iteration of the annual Water Festival, an event which has taken place in Beaufort County since 1956. Although various aspects of the festival have changed over the years and the entertainment of today certainly looks different from what crowds experienced decades ago, the Beaufort Water Festival has remained a locally-driven, family-friendly event that still provides all visitors with an exciting Lowcountry experience. This year’s main attractions will include a golf tournament, fishing tournament, and foot race competitions but the cornerstone events of the festival should be very familiar to past attendees. The festival’s second weekend features these historically keystone attractions of the Air Show, Grand Parade, and the Parade of Boats – all events which have been featured since the very first Water Festival. This continuation of tradition is appropriate for this year’s Festival theme, “Tides of Lasting Memories”. Undoubtedly some of this year’s Festival attendees still have the memories of the times when the festival charged only 50 cents for entry to the Beauty Pageant and just a dollar (per couple!) to attend the climatic Water Festival Ball. Likewise, the crowds which will come through this year’s Festival will make their own memories to share with the future generations of Beaufort County.
The Water Festival is also a local event which can showcase the community’s pride and mutual relationship with the region’s military installations. The Marine Corps Band of Parris Island will open the first night of entertainment with their always-anticipated concert plus a fireworks display which will surely delight onlookers of all ages. This Marine Corps Band has an over 100-year history of quality performances and we are looking forward to their latest set! Additionally, the Water Festival has declared Tuesday, July 18th as Military and First Responder Appreciation Night, offering free entry for all active duty servicemembers with identification. With as much as our local military members provide to the Beaufort area communities, we are happy to see the community continuing to show its thanks and appreciate this year’s official Festival Commodore, James Nutt, specifically calling attention in his welcome message to the military organizations which help make this festival a reoccurring event.
The Beaufort Water Festival will run for ten days over two weekends from July 14th to July 23rd. You can get your tickets at https://www.bftwaterfestival.com and we hope to see you there!
