Beaufort Water Festival canceled because of coronavirus. Here’s what we know
The Beaufort Water Festival is the latest big event to fall to coronavirus.
The annual 10-day celebration planned for July 17-26 in downtown Beaufort is off, organizers announced Tuesday. That includes all of the sports and entertainment, including the concert in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park that this year was to be headlined by country star Rodney Atkins.
The next festival will be July 2021. Next year’s event will remain the same, branded as the 65th festival with Erin “Tank” Morris as the festival commodore.
“Without a doubt it’s (about) the safety and health of the community,” Water Festival board chairman Brian Patrick said. “We didn’t feel it was responsible to try to come up with social distancing tactics in this type of environment. We just thought it would be irresponsible to try to even do that.”
Water Festival has been held each year since 1956 as a celebration of the seaside town’s connection to sailing, shrimping and its vast network of tidal rivers and sounds. This will be the first year the festival has not been held since its inception, Patrick said.
Fishing and golf tournaments, a raft race, nightly musical acts and a parade are part of the traditional schedule.
Festival organizers said they considered recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as healthcare providers, on COVID-19. The board voted unanimously during a virtual meeting Sunday to put off the event.
The announcement comes as Gov. Henry McMaster continues to relax coronavirus restrictions. Restaurants were allowed to open to outdoor dining starting Monday, and beaches and many businesses have reopened.
But rules still restrict group gatherings, and the Water Festival draws thousands to the 7-acre Waterfront Park each year. While the event is still two months away, planning the festival is a massive undertaking involving numerous vendors and hundreds of volunteers.
“Large gatherings we felt are still a ways away,” Patrick said. “We just decided we need to get the word out now so we don’t string along the planning phase.”
Water Festival is the latest Beaufort County event to be scrapped over COVID-19 precautions.
Taste of Beaufort planned May 1-2 in Waterfront Park was also canceled. The RBC Heritage golf tournament on Hilton Head Island was postponed until June and will be played without spectators.
