The Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for the 75th annual Potomac River Festival June 12-14 in Colonial Beach.
The festival, which is free to attend and entirely volunteer-operated, will feature multiple parades, local artist and vendor showcases and plenty of entertainment options for kids. All events take place in Colonial Beach and on the boardwalk, with vendors posting up at Town Hill and the boardwalk, as well.
Rhonda Pitts, former chairman and volunteer, said the theme for the 75th festival is “Then to Now.” “We are spotlighting a lot of the businesses that have been here in Colonial Beach, some of them for 50 years,” she said. Pitts noted Wilkerson’s Seafood Restaurant as an example, a Colonial Beach staple since 1946.
Festivities start on Friday night with the Artist Guild’s Second Friday Artwalk, featuring local artists displaying their work along the boardwalk. Afterwards, the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department will host the first parade of the weekend, one of the “longest and the loudest” parades in the state, said Pitts. The Miss Colonial Beach Pageant will follow on the Town Hill stage.
On Saturday morning, registration for the Grande Feature Parade is available from 9-11 a.m. at Colonial Beach High School. At the conclusion of registration, parade participants—which may include decorated floats, boats, cars, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts, bicycles, dance performers, marching units, or other parade-worthy entries—will line up for a noon start time. Throughout the day, there will be food and craft vendors on the boardwalk from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and a kids zone at Town Hill from noon-4 p.m.
At dark on Saturday night, a fireworks display will be featured over the Potomac River, which participants and spectators can enjoy from the Town Pier.
On Sunday, festivities begin early with the Father’s Day Car Show, featuring classic vintage cars from local owners from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Vendors will again be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., while the kids zone will be open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. A boat parade will be held from 1 p.m.-1:30 p.m.. Spectators can view from Irving Avenue, the boardwalk, or the Town Pier. Cash prizes are included for winning boats. Parades will wrap up for the weekend with a pet parade at 2 p.m.
The festival has a longstanding emphasis on community. It “brings a lot of people back to Colonial Beach, people who have relatives here or have childhood memories of coming here,” said Pitts. “This is the weekend that everyone likes to come back to Colonial Beach to reminisce and be with family.”
Tradition, too, is important to the nature of the festival. Its 75th anniversary draws special attention to volunteers who have been largely impactful in the festival’s long history of success. Volunteer Frances Karn has been a “driving force from the beginning,” said Pitts.
Registration for the Grande Feature Parade and the boat parade is available online at, as well as registration for craft and food vendors. Craft and food vendors must submit required documentation and fees for a slot in the event.
Festival Schedule:
Friday, June 12
- 7:30 p.m., Fireman’s Parade; Beauty Pageant after at Town Hill stage
Saturday, June 13
- 9-11:00 a.m., Parade registration at Colonial Beach High School
- 11 a.m.-noon, Parade line-up
- Noon, Grande Feature Parade
- 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Vendors, Boardwalk and Town Hill
- Noon-4 p.m., Kids Zone with Bounce House and Bubble Table, Town Hill
- Dark, Fireworks, Potomac River, Tow`n Pier
Sunday, June 14
- 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Father’s Day Car Show
- 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Vendors, Boardwalk and Town Hill
- 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Kids Zone with Bounce House and Bubble Table, Town Hill
- 1 p.m., Boat Parade, Potomac River, Irving Avenue, The Boardwalk, Town Pier
- 2 p.m., Pet Parade, Town Hill Stage
