What’s the new commodore have planned for next year’s Water Fest? Good weather, family and community

Jason Berry celebrated the birth of his twin granddaughters, Scarlett and Sloane, two years ago during the opening day of the 59th Beaufort Water Festival.

Saturday evening, Berry celebrated the end of the 61st Beaufort Water Festival and accepted the role of 62nd commodore for next year’s festival at the Beaufort Inn’s Tabby Place.

Amid claps, cheers, laughs and congratulations, Commodore Chris Canaday announced Berry as his successor along with hopes for a festival as enjoyable as this year’s. With friends, family, volunteers and his two granddaughters by his side, Berry accepted the role as well as tissues and a beer onstage.

The commodore, a role that’s been filled by 61 different men and women during the entirety of the Water Festival, serves as a liaison between the community and the face of the festival, according to Berry.

“It takes an entire village, and there’s got to be a leader of the village,” he said.

Before the crowd, he thanked his family and peers for their support and presented a bouquet of flowers to his wife, Melissa.

For Berry, the festival is all about family — his family, families coming together and the community family.

“It means a lot to have my entire family down here,” he said.

For next July, Berry said he plans to have good weather and the “best festival ever” during his time as the commodore. He said he wanted people to understand that the festival is for the community.

“That’s what the festival is all about,” he said. “That’s what Beaufort is all about — family and community.”

Canaday oversaw this year’s activities in Beaufort and said most volunteers were worn out while working at the festival, but that they’ve all had fun and enjoyed it.

He said Berry, who worked under Canaday this year as the program coordinator, is a hard worker who’s well prepared for the role of commodore.

“I know that Jason’s going to do a good job,” he said. “I can’t think of a better person to head the festival next year.”

The common consensus at the ceremony was that Berry was the best choice for the job — even Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling gave him an endorsement. Berry’s son, Mark, recently moved back to Beaufort with his wife and family. He said he was proud of his father, a man he sees as a role model.

“He deserves everything he’s got here,” he said. “That’s why we moved back.”

As Berry looked around the Tabby Place at people chatting, laughing and celebrating, he said there were people there who hadn’t seen one another in a long time.

“(I want to) bring people together that haven’t been together in years,” he said. “That’s what my festival is.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 9:25 PM with the headline "What’s the new commodore have planned for next year’s Water Fest? Good weather, family and community."