America’s River Roots Festival To Offer Boat Parades, Races, Cruises

More than 1 million people are expected to attend a new festival along the Ohio River this fall featuring nine excursion boats from seven different cities.

America’s River Roots Festival will be held October 8-12 on the riverfronts of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington and Newport, Ky. It will celebrate river city heritage and histories of the communities and include music, cuisine, cultural enrichment, boat parades, boat races and cruises and visiting industry vessels as well. The festival will also serve as a signature kickoff of the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026.

“We are excited to invite everyone to one of the biggest festivals the Ohio River has ever hosted, celebrating the communities of America’s river cities through music, cuisine and culture,” festival marketing director Chris Horn said. “The riverboats are an important part of this festival and story, bringing the culture, music and food of seven great American cities to the Cincy Region.”

The excursion boats confirmed for the event are: the Steamboat Natchez from New Orleans, La.; the Belle of Louisville and Mary Miller from Louisville, Ky.; the Anson and Betsey Northrup of St. Paul, Minn.; the Three Rivers Queen of Pittsburgh, Pa.; the Belle of Memphis of Memphis, Tenn.; the Celebration Belle of Moline, Ill.; and the River Queen and Belle of Cincinnati from Newport, Ky., according to Bill Kinzeler, director of river operations for the festival.

The boats will operate more than 175 cruises, Kinzeler said. Their daily schedule includes brunch, lunch and dinner cruises as well as two-hour sightseeing cruises. Tickets are already on sale.

A boat parade on October 9 will include all nine boats along with an accompanying vintage sternwheel boat and antique pleasurecraft, he said. The boats will parade roughly 7 miles northbound, terminating at the public landing in Cincinnati.

Boat races will take place October 10, 11 and 12, with the featured final event on October 12 being a race between the Belle of Louisville and the Steamboat Natchez.

A final twilight boat parade will conclude the festival on October 12. Fireworks will take place each night of the festival as they are launched from the Ohio River.

“The steamboat era represents the importance of a mode of transportation that led to the expansion of the United States,” Kinzeler said regarding the importance of including the excursion vessels in so many aspects of America’s River Roots Festival.

At least two companies associated with the modern towboat and barge industry also plan on bringing vessels, Kinzeler said. The Coast Guard and the nonprofit river preservation, protection and restoration organization Living Lands & Waters also expect to attend with parts of their fleets. Open houses and tours are among the events under consideration.

The full festival itinerary continues to be developed, Kinzeler said, but a planning meeting February 19 and 20 brought in 72 people, including the masters of the nine excursion vessels and 29 officials representing local, state and federal agencies. They discussed vessel operations, communication, law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency support and command and control protocols, then validated the processes discussed in a four-hour tabletop exercise led by Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley. Planners have been working for more than a year to develop the operating and agency protocols that will aid in ensuring the safety of vessels, crews, visitors and recreation and commercial interests, Kinzeler said.

Additionally, America’s River Roots plans on fully staffing a communications center throughout the festival from 8 a.m. until the last scheduled cruise has been completed daily. Operating channels will be 13, 16 and 19.

For additional information or to book an excursion boat cruise during the festival, visit the website AmericasRiverRoots.com. Those with questions may contact Horn by email at chorn@americasriverroots.com.