Beaufort celebrates annual Water Festival Parade

By Delayna Earley

The Island News

The 67th Beaufort Water Festival Grand Parade was held on Saturday, July 22, 2023, in downtown Beaufort.

Rob Bridgers was the Grand Marshall for the parade and was organized by the Beaufort Lions Club.

The Lions Club has been organizing the parade since the first Water Festival in 1956.

The Water Festival is a 10-day long festival that takes place annually in Beaufort to celebrate the connection that Beaufort has with the coastal waterways.

Always a crowd favorite, the Omar Vettes from Myrtle Beach show off their stunt driving skills during the annual Beaufort Water Festival Parade on Saturday. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

The Pirettes, official ambassadors of the Beaufort Water Festival, wave to the crowd as thier float makes its way down Boundary Street. Bob Sofaly/The Island News

Delayna Earley lives in Beaufort with her husband, two children and Jack Russell. She formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She joined The Island News in 2022. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.