MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Sternwheelers are arriving for the 50th Ohio River Sternwheel Festival, with many boats reaching the city over the weekend.
Boats travel from Pittsburgh
The E-L Thumper and Jenny B, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, left Friday on a 175-mile, two-and-a-half-day journey to Marietta. The boats have been coming to the festival for 50 years.
“It’s fun. They shut the whole city down. City does an excellent job providing festivities for people to do, things to watch, and then it’s always an awesome fireworks show on a Saturday evening,” said Jeremy Meinert, deckhand.
Hobby III arrives from Nitro
The Hobby III also arrived Sunday from Nitro, West Virginia. Captain JD Pauley has been coming to the festival since 1995.
“We enjoy the trip. We enjoy the festival. We enjoy the people, but we enjoy the trip up. Takes us about 3 days. We just take our time. We don’t get in a hurry. It’s relaxing until something breaks, but, and it happens,” said JD Pauley, captain, Hobby III…