James River Batteau Festival

The James River Batteau Festival is an eight-day event featuring authentic replicas of the sleek, shallow-draft merchant boats upon which the Old Dominion rode to its first era of economic prosperity. The event begins and launches from the waterfront of Lynchburg on June 17.

The festival moves along a 200-year-old route, stopping each day in the historic towns and communities along the way. Each evening is a celebration of the cultural heritage of this legendary river basin in music, song, dance and storytelling, plus lots of plain old-time Virginia socializing.

Have you ever thought about taking a canoe or kayak down a river and then been confronted with questions and obstacles? The James River Batteau Festival can provide answers-and a truly unique experience for anyone who enjoys the river. Participating in the James River Batteau Festival will provide answers to the these questions and many more. We are anxious to find individuals who get the “Batteau Bug” and want to build a bateau. But many festival participants do so in kayaks and canoes and they are welcomed as part of the group.