CHARLESTON, W.Va. –In four days, downtown Charleston will be alive with festivities as the 2025 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta gets underway.
The regatta kicks off Thursday, July 3, beginning at 10 a.m. with a one-hour sightseeing cruise and runs through Sunday, July 6
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin appeared on 580 Live with Dave Allen Monday morning, where she discussed some exciting new features, attendees can expect at this year’s event.
One of the highlights is a brand-new performance by a group making their Regatta debut – Fluidity. They’ll begin performing Friday, and hosting workshops at City Center at Slack Plaza.
She described what those attending the regatta can expect to see from them.
“The only way I can describe them is that they are an aerial, cirque-de-soleily type of thing,” Goodwin said. “They fly in the air, there on these ribbons and strings and they do flips and turns.”
She added that they will also be performing in the Funeral Parade which is set for Saturday at 1:30 beginning on Capitol Street.
Goodwin also announced that they will holding a Regatta Past and Present Exhibit at the Four Points by Sheraton.
She said that over the years she has had many people sent her things from past Regatta’s and those will be on full display for people to view.
“Hey, I had this hand-painted basket purse that sternwheels painted all over it and I want you to have it since you brought back the Regatta, well I can’t take gifts, so I started a collection of all old Regatta memorabilia,” Goodwin said.
Some of the things that she highlighted that’s included in the exhibit are hand-stitched wrapped skirts, posters, RC bottles and Dr. Pepper bottles, hats, pins etc.
Goodwin even announced that she will be giving out 25 homemade bracelets during the four-day regatta.
She said that last year they started The Young Entrepreneurs Market and that’s when she bought a couple of bracelets from a young girl who made bracelets, and she was asked by many people if they could have one. So, this year, she decided to ask that young girl again to make her 100 bracelets so she could give them out to people attending the regatta.
Goodwin says that in order to request a bracelet, you have to see her while in downtown Charleston.
“You have to see me at regatta, you have to physically see me, and I will have them on my wrists,” she said.
She emphasized that there’s a bracelet for everyone.
“There for anybody bracelets, but you just have to be under the age of eighteen, I really say sixteen, but I can’t do that, a young person,” Goodwin said. “I will say this lots of different colors.”
More a detailed list of activities and musical performances you can go to charlestonregatta.com/schedule.