Beaufort Water Festival among America’s quirkiest. The No. 1 reason? Bed races
A national group says the city of Beaufort has one of the best quirky small-town festivals in America — the 10-day Water Festival that’s been around since 1956.
Locals already know that, but it’s nice to hear.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently highlighted “7 delightfully offbeat small town festivals” and Beaufort’s Water Festival, which is scheduled to begin Friday, July 17, made the cut.
The National Trust said these festivals aren’t just about having a good time.
With their local flavor, interesting characters and cultural pride, the annual get-togethers strengthen communities, boost tourism and increase revenue for local businesses in historic downtown districts.
The Trust asked Main Street America to share its favorite quirky festivals. Main Street America is a not-for-profit dedicated to revitalizing historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. It’s a part of the National Trust.
Here’s what Main Street said about Beaufort:
“There are seafood boils, air shows, concerts, kids’ activities, raft races, ski shows, boat parades and a bed race,” it wrote. “Yes, you read that correctly: teams of people race on beds. Over the decades, the tradition has changed from actual beds fitted with wheels to gurneys. Teams usually dress up, and it’s quite a sight to see the madcap dash down the street.”
The Water Festival bed race
As Sarah Haselhorst of the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet reported in 2022, the idea for a bed race came from then-City Manager Don Fisher, who had seen one in Hawaii. The first race came in 1983, and it’s become wildly popular since. Retired gurneys are the only beds used. There’s no more throwing balloons and plastic gloves filled with water for fear of hitting people’s heads. But dressing in costume has stuck — some donning baby bonnets or hospital patient gowns. And the gurneys are decked out to a team’s desire.
This year’s bed race is 5 p.m., Friday, July 24 and begins at the corner of Bay and Harrington streets.
The Lowcountry supper
The mass feeding of the iconic dish called “Frogmore stew,” a mix of succulent boiled shrimp with sides of sausage and corn-on-the-cob, is another highlight of 10-day festival mentioned by Main Street in its story.
Last year’s feed drew 2,000 people.
This year’s Lowcountry Supper is 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at Waterfront Park. Get tickets online at bftwaterfestival.com.
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Friday’s opening ceremony
The opening ceremony is at 7 p.m. Friday. The Parris Island Marine Band is the entertainment and fireworks are planned. The event is free and gates open at 6 p.m. A free shuttle service will operate from the Beaufort Government Center from 5 p.m. to midnight.
Country music on Saturday
Country singer Joe Nichols performs in the park at 7 p.m. Saturday. His special guest will be Tyler Reese Tritt, a rising country music singer and songwriter from Powder Springs, Georgia. She is the daughter of Grammy-winning country star Travis Tritt.
