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What they don't always see are the host of volunteers and coordinators -- the Water Festival "family" -- who spend an entire year planning, hosting events, and along the way, growing closer as friends, said 2010 Commodore Sheri Little.
These are the folks who are thinking about the Water Festival when no one else is.
For more than 25 years, volunteer Mikel Swinton, 58, has done whatever festival coordinators ask. His primary responsibility is festival trash cans, ensuring they are properly placed and emptied when needed, he said.
For all the effort he has given, Water Festival volunteers found lasting ways to return the favor.
About 10 years ago, a group of festival volunteers joined with Habitat for Humanity and built Swinton a house in Port Royal, he said.
In October, volunteers noticed the inside of Swinton's home could use a fresh coat of paint. About 14 festival family members grabbed brushes, rolled up their sleeves and painted the house from top to bottom, he said. When they finished, 2009 Commodore Wilmot Schott fired up his grill and the group had a cookout, Little said.
"I just thank God I get to be a part of that Water Festival every year," Swinton said. "The way they treat me, it's just like I'm one of their closest family members. I'm really blessed."
The group's camaraderie stems partly from the sheer amount of time they spend together every year, both during the festival and in the months leading up to it, Little said.
Festival coordinators and other volunteers gather for a day-long retreat in September, just two months after the last festival ended. There, volunteers go over what worked before, what didn't, and ramp up planning for the next year, Little said.
Leaders start looking at how they will allocate the budget -- about $503,000 for the 2010 festival, Little said.
Typically, nine coordinators oversee everything from the festival programs, sponsorships, sporting events and marketing. Those coordinators often shift from one position to another every year, learning different aspects of the festival, Little said.
Also making up the team are directors and other volunteers who help handle merchandise, sales and admissions, T-shirts and more. More than 400 people helped make the Water Festival happen in 2009, Little said.
During September and October, coordinators meet twice a month and sometimes more before they scale back the process to monthly meetings from November to January.
Coordinators must make sure every event is lined up and ready to go by festival time, Little said. They work with everyone from the city of Beaufort to the federal government, getting clearance for use of the Beaufort River and air space.
For the 2010 air show, coordinators are trying to get approval for a Marine Corps Harrier jet to fly over the Beaufort River.
"We don't know if we've been approved yet, but a request has to happen at least 10 months in advance," Little said.
Major national singers and bands -- like Jake Owen, who is slated for 2010 -- must be booked well in advance.
Heavy planning for all other festival details picks up again around February, Little said, and culminates with almost two weeks of non-stop events and festivities in July.
Little said people might find it surprising that after paying its bills, most of the money the Water Festival brings in goes back into the community.
The festival donates to different organizations, such as the Lions Club, Rotary Club, Beaufort Business and Professional Women's Club, Zonta Club of Beaufort and other groups who volunteer to help during the festival, Little said.
It also sponsors a $2,500 scholarship every year for a student at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.
"You go to the festival and people think it's just a concert every night," Little said. "I think they would be surprised to know just how much is involved every year, not just in July, to make it a successful community event."
