A staple of Southeast Ohio culture returns this weekend for its 30th edition: the Pomeroy Sternwheel Regatta. Starting Thursday, the free three-day event celebrates boating and the Ohio River.
The Regatta is an event like no other. It isn’t a festival, John Lehew, organizer, said –– it’s a river event. “We are a Sternwheel Regatta,” he said. “Festivals mainly happen on land.”
The Regatta features all sorts of boats; some built in the 1930s, some built as new as 2004, and some as large as 110 feet. There will be 10 sternwheelers in total.
“Most of the boats that come were built or bought by the owners,” Lehew said. “We have some very historic riverboats coming too.”
This year’s Regatta comes with a few modifications, of course. Due to the ongoing pandemic, a lot has changed, Lehew said. For example, the traditional Regatta parade was canceled, as well as music at the riverfront amphitheater. The event is outdoors and Lehew collaborated with both the county health department and the Pomeroy mayor to make the event as safe as possible.
The Regatta kicks off on Thursday night at 7 p.m. with benedictions and jazz on Pomeroy’s Court Street. The event also has a lot going on off-land, in the mighty Ohio.
“We’re doing a lot of stuff on the river, Lehew said. “We’re doing a kayak poker run from Racine lot 24, and a boat poker run coming down from lot 24 on Saturday as well.”
The Regatta will feature entertainment Friday and Saturday nights as well. There will be a couple of outdoor shows as well as one indoor, ends-at-capacity show at the Pomeroy Eagles on Saturday night, at 8 p.m. The weekend will feature artists Next Level and Double Shot, among others.
The Regatta is great for local businesses and the town of Pomeroy, Lehew said. “What it usually means to merchants is it's almost like Christmastime –– it brings in a lot of out of town business.”
One of the events hosted by the Regatta is also a “Poker Walk” with stops at several local businesses. “[People] get playing cards at each business they stop, and the highest hand wins,” Lehew said. “The money is usually over $100.”
One local business participating in the Poker Walk is Weaving Stitches, 106 E Main St. The Regatta draws quite a crowd each year, Eloise Drenner, owner of Weaving Stitches, said.
“It just brings a lot of people into town,” Drenner said. “Hopefully, it will continue to be good for us.”
This year will be a little bit different, though. Drenner has been in contact with the health department as well as has a set capacity for the store. “You only can have so many people in here at a time.”
As a local business, the Regatta is fun each year, Drenner said. It’s one of the things that makes Pomeroy special.
“I’ve been here 27 years and this is just a good place to have a business,” Drenner said. “I love the town of Pomeroy.”
Another business participating in the Poker Walk is Hartwell House, 100 E Main St. As one of Pomeroy’s oldest gift shops, the store draws in plenty of sternwheel-viewers and patrons alike on the annual weekend, Bobbie Karr, owner of Hartwell House, said. For her, the Regatta puts some excitement into the air.
“People love to see the boats down here,” Karr said. “It’s a fun place to be -- anytime you have boats in town, and the river looks festive.”
For Karr, the fall in Pomeroy is a beautiful time. She greatly enjoys seeing the town come to life on weekends, especially during the Regatta. “It’s fun to see the town packed,” she said.
For details and up-to-date information on the Regatta, check out the event’s Facebook page.
