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The Potomac River Festival - a weekend of sun, fun and celebration in Colonial Beach

60th Annual Potomac River Festival

June 10-12, 2011

Theme:"Now & Then"

Carnival on Town Hill. Opens Wed., Jun. 8th, runs through the weekend.

Friday, June 10, 2011

approx. 7:00pm Firemen’s Parade
Immediately following the Parade is the Miss Colonial Beach Pageant on Town Stage.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

12:00pm – 5:00pm Arts/Crafts and Food Vendors on Town Hill. Moon Bounce and Kids' activity area
12:00pm Grand Feature Parade (on Colonial & Washington)
2:00pm Latin Dance Competition on Town Stage
3:00pm Awards Ceremony for Parade winners on Town Stage
3:30pm Entertainment on Town Stage including Doug Kyger, Hanover Blue band, Celebrity Impersonators "Illusions of the Stars"
9:15pm Fireworks at the Town Pier

Sunday, June 12, 2011

10:00am – 3:00pm Arts/Crafts and Food Vendors on the Boardwalk
1:00pm Boat Parade
2:00pm Pet Parade on Town Stage
2:00pm Beer & Wine Garden on Town Hill

The annual Potomac River Festival has been taking place for 60 years in Colonial Beach. It's a weekend-long event in mid-June with fun for the whole family. The gentle river breezes and warm sunshine make for a great time as you take in all the fun-filled events, sights and sounds of this wonderful festival.

Friday

The Potomac River Festival usually kicks off at 7:30pm with the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department Parade. If you've never been, you should know that it's quite a sight, as well as quite an earful! Those engines will have their horns and sirens blaring, and lights flashing. The Miss Colonial Beach Pageant also takes place during the Friday evening festivities, and there's a Carnival too. It usually arrives on the Wednesday before Festival weekend.

The Boardwalk Arts and Crafts Fair typically starts at 10:00am, on the boardwalk of course, and goes until 5:00pm. You'll find various vendors with all sorts of wares such as food, art, jewelry, wood sculptures, yard ornaments, furniture, antiques, sewn items, dolls, candles and other knick-knacks. Here's a tip: Buy it when you see it, because if you come back for it later, you won't be able to find it.

DJ on Town Hill provides music for your listening pleasure. Heck, you can even get up and dance if you feel like it. Oftentimes, line dancing will take place and it's a blast!

Grand Feature Parade and entertainment and is so much fun! You'll see some great bands and floats as they make their way through the streets from their beginning point at the High School. Sometimes there's a Majorette competition on the schedule, too. Here's a slideshow from the last half of the Grand Feature Parade on Saturday, June 12th 2010:

Live Bands on Town Stage will provide the music for an enjoyable afternoon and evening concert.

A grand display of Fireworks cap off a great day of festival fun and usually begin at 9:00pm. Get there early as the beach area fills up quick! There's always a good turnout for this event because Colonial Beach always puts on a great fireworks show. I sometimes park near the BB&T bank branch and walk a few blocks. It's a good idea to bring chairs or a blanket to set down - especially if you're in the sandy part of the beach area. A flashlight is also helpful.

Sunday

The Boardwalk Arts and Crafts Fair usually starts at 10:00am and will last until 4:00pm on Sunday.

DJ on Town Hill around 1pm provides music for dancing and maybe even Karaoke.

Colonial Beach Yacht Club Boat Parade travels from Monroe Bay up to the Town Pier. Get your cameras ready for all the beautiful boats as they make their way to the Pier area.

Pet Parade usually begins at 2:00pm at the town stage. Ponder pretty pooches prancing past parade participants. It is so cute to see all these dogs, some in costume, some performing tricks. Of course there's judging and your dog may even win a prize!

Here are some pictures from the 2010 pet parade: