By RealWV Staff,
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 2023 Sternwheel Regatta kicks off five straight days of family-friendly fun on Friday, and you won’t want to miss any of the excitement!
Much like last year, this year’s free concert lineup features some of music’s most popular stars, beginning on Friday with alternative-rockers, Better Than Ezra. The band behind such mega-hits as “Good,” “Desperately Wanting,” and “Grateful,” Better Than Ezra will take the Moses Auto Group stage at Haddad Riverfront Park at 8 p.m.
Saturday’s musical offerings will feature the R&B sounds of Charleston’s own Redline Band on the Moses Auto Group stage at 6:30 p.m., directly ahead of rap-icon Flo Rida’s performance. The artist known for such crowd-pleasing dance anthems as “Wild Ones,” “Low,” and “Hola,” Flo Rida will take the stage at 8 p.m.
On Sunday, Grammy Award-winning legends Kool &The Gang – the longest continuously performing R&B group in history – bring their “bulletproof funk and jazzy arrangements” to Charleston’s Sternwheel Regatta. With a catalog of hits like “Jungle Boogie,” “Cherish,” and “Get Down on it,” it’s sure to be a “Celebration” when Kool & The Gang hits the Moses Auto Group Stage at 8 p.m.
On Monday, it’s all about the country!
Logan’s own singer/songwriter Kate Boytek will take the Moses Auto Group stage at 6:30, when she opens the show for country music megastar Jo Dee Messina. The trendsetter behind the chart-toppers “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” “My Give a Damn’s Busted,” and “Bring on the Rain,” Messina hits the stage at Haddad Riverfront Park at 8 p.m.
On Tuesday, July 4, The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra will be on the Moses Auto Group Stage to celebrate the nation’s 247th birthday with a special 7:30 p.m. performance. A traditional fireworks display will follow at 9:30.
Additional activities include the Kids Zone, the Carnival at Haddad Riverfront Park, the Wheelwash Beer Festival, the Sternwheel Slamboree, the Firecracker 5K, Weiner Dog Races, Classic Car Show, the Great Rubber Duck Race, the Professional Action Sports Exhibition, the Tudor’s Biscuit World Hot Dog Eating Contest, and much more.
Tuesday, July 4, will feature a special local “Battle of the Bands” competition. Each band selected to play will receive $250, with the winning band receiving a paid-contract to play the july 21 edition of Live on the Levee. Battle of the Bands will begin at 2 p.m. on the Moses Auto Group Stage.
For more information about the 2023 Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, including a complete schedule of events, visit charlestonregatta.com.
