The Charleston Sternwheel Regatta is a summer festival held annually along the Kanawha River at Haddad Riverfront Park and the surrounding downtown area. The four-day celebration combines live music, family entertainment, food, carnival rides, river heritage, and community events. After running continuously from 1971 through 2008, the Regatta was revived in 2022 and has quickly reestablished itself as a marquee event for the region.



The festival traces its roots to the city's connection with the Kanawha River and the iconic sternwheel boats that once dominated river transportation. While sternwheel boat races were once the centerpiece, today's event has evolved into a broader celebration featuring riverboat rides, national concert headliners, fireworks, drone shows, a carnival, car shows, family activities, artisan and food vendors, and special themed events throughout downtown. The event remains free to attend, making it accessible to residents and visitors alike.

Each year, Haddad Riverfront Park becomes the heart of the festival. Recent editions have featured nationally recognized performers spanning country, rock, pop, and hip-hop. In 2026, headliners included performers such as Wynonna Judd, Melissa Etheridge, Bret Michaels, Montell Jordan, Bow Wow, Bobby Brown, Vertical Horizon, Tonic, drawing large crowds throughout the holiday weekend.

There's also a good bit of food vendors, which is my favorite part to check out:

A Family Affair
Bandit BBQ
Baskin Robbins
Bayou Classics
Big Marv’s
C&L Concessions
Carol’s Soul to Soul







Cecil’s Hot Dogs
I stopped here because I've never had food from Uncle Cecil's! I ordered a hot dog with slaw and onion, simply because it was too hot for chili.

CNC Concessions
Coal Miner’s Diner
Fliehman’s Concessions
Fresco’s
Hillbilly Ears
Holy O’s
JoJo’s Tacos
Just Drinks
Kona Ice
M R Poppins Kettle Corn
Nelita Cocina





Rt. 66 Diner
I needed a drink to go with my hot dog, so I stopped here to order their strawberry shake-up. It's like a strawberry lemonade, minus the lemon part.

Scooby’s Icy Treats
Shawarma Zone
Sherry’s Concessions
Sweet as Hale
Triple B Eatery
Wild N’ Wonderful Rolls
Zul’s Frozen Lemonade