4 epic days left of Beaufort Water Festival: Here’s everything you need to know
The Beaufort Water Festival is half over, but the 10-day community celebration remains jam-packed with concerts, competition, and Lowcountry culture, all in the heart of beautiful downtown Beaufort.
If you haven’t been able to make it to the festival yet this year, don’t worry, there are plenty of exciting events left on the schedule for you and your family to check out and get a good splash of Beaufort culture.
What’s happening:
Thursday
Croquet tournament (9 Wicket): 9 a.m. start time, Waterfront Park.
Lowcountry Supper: 6 p.m., Waterfront Park
Who’s playing: Too Much Sylvia, Eric Daubert and The Whistlers
Details: $15 to enter. Supper served 6- 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Bed race: 5 p.m., Downtown Beaufort at corner of Bay and Harrington streets
River Dance: 8 p.m. (gates open at 7 p.m) Waterfront Park
Who’s playing: The Breakfast Club with Gump Fiction
Details: Must be 18 or older with valid ID. $15 to enter.
Saturday
Grand Parade: 10 a.m. to noon, Boundary-Carteret-Bay streets
Air show: 1 to 4 p.m., Waterfront Park
‘Commodore’s Ball: 8 p.m. (gates open at 7 p.m), Waterfront Park
Who’s playing: The Band Punch
Details: $10 to enter
Sunday: Blessing of the fleet and parade of boats: Noon to 2 p.m., Waterfront Park
Details: Free!
What to bring/ what to leave
You can bring lawn chairs and blankets and set them up prior to the park closing before the show, according to the Beaufort Water Festival’s website.
You can’t bring drinks, food, coolers, or strollers into the park. You can purchase food and drinks at the facility, but can’t leave with your drinks.
Where to park/ street closures
▪ Lots behind Wells Fargo and BB&T banks downtown have parking for $10.
▪ The First Citizens Bank parking lot on the corner of Bay and Charles streets serves as a handicap parking spot after business hours during the week and all day on the weekends.
▪ Pay attention to parking signs to avoid getting towed. There is precedence for cars to be towed for illegal parking during the festival.
▪ Street closures: Bay Street will be closed from Harrington to Charles streets for the bed race from 5 to 6 p.m. July 22. Boundary, Carteret and Bay streets will be closed from 10 a.m. to noon July 23 for the parade.
What’s different
▪ The air show will go on, despite scheduled stunt pilot Greg Connell’s sudden, tragic death in May. Stunt pilots Mark Nowosielski and Mark Sorenson — a friend of Connell’s — have stepped in, and there will be a moment of silence to honor Connell, according to commodore Chris Canaday.
▪ After a three-year run at the Beaufort Waterfest, Dragonboat Beaufort will not be a part of the festival this year. However, fans of the popular fundraising paddle races can see Dragonboats live in action on Labor Day weekend.
▪ The water ski show is not on the schedule this year.
This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "4 epic days left of Beaufort Water Festival: Here’s everything you need to know."