By Delayna Earley and Amber Hewitt
The Island News
Th 68th annual Beaufort Water Festival drew a crowd to Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in downtown Beaufort despite a rain delay that lasted just over an hour.
While the rain dampened the grass and the stage, spirits were high when the gates opened, and the program was able to continue as planned.
The announcement to postpone opening the event was made on Facebook, and many would-be-festivalgoers took to social media to joke about how it would not be a typical Water Festival without rain delays.
The opening ceremony kicked off the annual 10-day festival by recognizing Commodore Josh Schott and introducing the head volunteers and people who have worked hard for the past year to organize and put on the festival.
Festival and event sponsors as well as local political leaders also speak to the crowd about the importance of this long-running Lowcountry festival.
The evening ended with music from the Parris Island Marine Corps Band a sparkling fireworks display.
Make sure to follow The Island News for photos of the upcoming Beaufort Water Festival events.
Delayna Earley, joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
