CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Since 1971, the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta has been a staple of the summer in Charleston.
The event was founded by Nelson Jones at age 13, who initially pitched the event as a sternwheel race to his surrogate mother, according to the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta’s website.
The Regatta’s website said his mother, Henny Cook, was the Executive Secretary to then-Mayor John Hutchinson.
Cook encouraged Jones to present his pitch to the mayor, its website said.
On Sept. 5, 1971, Jones and five sternwheelers launched the Regatta, according to the website.
Jones passed on Aug. 25, 2010, but the Regatta has continued to live on since.
In 2022, the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta won the 2022 Mountain State Award by the West Virginia Department of Tourism, its website said.
This year, the Regatta will begin this Thursday, July 3, and last until Sunday, July 6.
Featured entertainment includes Carly Pearce, KC and The Sunshine Band, Busta Rhymes, and Jefferson Starship.
Information about the Regatta’s schedule can be found here or on the Regatta’s website.
Parking and traffic information can also be found here.
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