CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — The schedule for the 2023 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta was announced on Tuesday.
The 2023 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta will run from Friday, June 30, to Tuesday, July 4.
Here is the schedule:
Friday, June 30
| Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kids Zone | Magic Island | 12 p.m. |
| Carnival | Kanawha Blvd. | 1 p.m. |
| Skate Park Exhibition | Skate Park | 2 p.m. |
| Wheelwash Beer Festival | Capitol St. | 5:30 p.m. |
| The Crunch | Haddad Riverfront Park | 6:30 p.m. |
| Better Than Ezra | Haddad Riverfront Park | 7 p.m. |
| Fireworks | Haddad Riverfront Park | 9:40 p.m. |
Saturday, July 1
| Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Firecracker 5K | Magic Island | 8 a.m. |
| Weiner Dog Races | Magic Island | 10 a.m. |
| Fire Parade | Kanawha Blvd. | 12 p.m. |
| Kids Zone | Magic Island | 12 p.m. |
| Skate Park Exhibition | Skate Park | 12 p.m. |
| SLC Music Maker Saturday | Kanawha County Public Library – Main Library | 12 p.m. |
| Carnival | Kanawha Blvd. | 1 p.m. |
| Funeral Parade | Capitol St. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Slack Plaza Slamboree – Professional Wrestling | City Center at Slack Plaza | 3 p.m. |
| Redline | Haddad Riverfront Park | 6:30 p.m. |
| Flo Rida | Haddad Riverfront Park | 7 p.m. |
Sunday, July 2
| Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Car Show | Summers St. | 10 a.m. |
| Bible Center Band | Haddad Riverfront Park | 12 p.m. |
| Kids Zone | Magic Island | 12 p.m. |
| Rubber Duck Race | Haddad Riverfront Park | 12 p.m. |
| Carnival | Kanawha Blvd. | 1 p.m. |
| Sternwheel Boat Races | Haddad Riverfront Park | 1 p.m. |
| Skate Park Exhibition | Skate Park | 2 p.m. |
| Santa Cruz | Haddad Riverfront Park | 6:30 p.m. |
| Kool & The Gang | Haddad Riverfront Park | 7 p.m. |
Monday, July 3
| Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kids Zone | Magic Island | 12 p.m. |
| Professional Action Sports Exhibition | Skate Park | 12 p.m. |
| Carnival | Kanawha Blvd. | 1 p.m. |
| Freeze Pop Frenzy | Magic Island | 2 p.m. |
| Kate Boytek | Haddad Riverfront Park | 6:30 p.m. |
| Jo Dee Messina | Haddad Riverfront Park | 7 p.m. |
Tuesday, July 4
| Event | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kids Zone | Magic Island | 12 p.m. |
| Carnival | Kanawha Blvd. | 1 p.m. |
| Battle of the Bands | Haddad Riverfront Park | 2 p.m. |
| Youth Anything That Floats Race | Magic Island | 3 p.m. |
| West Virginia Symphony Orchestra | Haddad Riverfront Park | 7:30 p.m. |
| Fireworks | Haddad Riverfront Park | 9:30 p.m. |
In March, the headliners were announced. They are:
- Friday: Better Than Ezra with the Coors Light Fireworks Extravaganza
- Saturday: Flo Rida
- Sunday: Kool & The Gang
- Monday; Jo Dee Messina
In August 2022, Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta Commission announced that the five-day event will take place Friday, June 30 through Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
2022’s Regatta was officially a success, generating a total of $31,507,883 in economic impact – the city’s largest economic impact from an event in at least 10 years.
According to the Charleston Regatta Commission and the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, an estimated 210,000 people came to the event and approximately 5,978 jobs were directly supported by the event.
Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin and the commission said the economic impact is far greater than what the city had anticipated. Prior to the event, organizers were estimating a total of just under $10 million.
The commission said of the attendees at the event, approximately 71% were local (within 50 miles of the event) and approximately 29% were from out-of-town (traveling from at least 50 miles away from the event). Organizers also say hotel occupancy in the area was estimated to have been at roughly 95% during the Regatta, equaling an approximate total of 15,440 room nights.
The 29% of out-of-town attendees equals approximately 61,000 people. Of those, organizers say approximately 77% came to the Regatta from out-of-state, staying approximately 2.4 days. The Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau says they used a partnership with Madden Media to use cell phone data to identify the top five states, out-of-state metros, in-state metros and distance traveled for out-of-state attendees.
