CHARLESTON, W.Va. –One of the biggest events held in the Capitol City will get underway Thursday.
Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin
The 2025 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta is set to bring live music, fun activities and food to downtown Charleston. Festivities will get underway at 10 a.m. with the first ever Regatta one hour sightseeing tour at the Haddad Riverfront Park. And Kentucky native Carly Pearce will perform beginning at 8 p.m.
Festivities will last until Sunday July 6.
Charleston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau CEO Tim Brady, who was on 580 Live Tuesday morning, says he excited to get things underway because of what the regatta means to the city.
“This drives visitation, it drives visitor spending, it drives hotel occupancies, plus it’s just a positive thing for the community,” Brady said.
And despite the weather being rainy to begin the week, regatta weekend should be void of all rain.
While it’s not supposed to rain, it will however be very sunny and hot.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin encouraged regatta goers to be safe.
“Humidity is going to be down, the suns going to be out so please hydrate, lots of sunscreen, lots of sunscreen, lots of sunscreen,” Goodwin said. ” It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend”.
Thursday through Friday the highs will be in 80’s, however on Sunday it will reach the 90’s.
In 2024, the regatta last year brought in an economic impact of $38 million dollars for the city.
Goodwin says that money goes directly back into the city and what they need.
“It goes to exactly what the mayor wants it to go to,” she said. “Small businesses, hotels, restaurants, shops, bars, and all of our vendors who were there who are mostly local folks.”
The event last year brought in 235,000 visitors to the Capitol City.
One of things that Goodwin says she likes to watch are the people who participate the boat races.
She said that the regatta was really born around the races early 1971.
“There’s something so incredibly cool watching these ginormous sternwheelers race, a dead sprint, live in action, it’s just a very good time. And we have commentators who are there, talking about the history of the sternwheels, who owns them, how long it takes to rehab them and it’s just going to be really fun,” Goodwin said.
The regatta will also feature musical performances by KC and the Sunshine Band, Busta Rhymes, Jefferson Starship and more. They will also fun events like the hot dog eating contest on Friday.
The musical line-up and festivities happening can be found at the regatta’s website here.
Photo: Charleston Sternwheel Regatta’s Facebook