History:
The original founders of Riverfest wanted an event that would serve all of the people and have the theme of an old-town fair like St. Albans held years ago.It would be a family event for all ages to enjoy. Riverfest initially started when Charleston was having improvements done to their riverbank. The sternwheelers had no place to go for that summer, so St. Albans opened up Roadside park for all to come enjoy some fun and look at the magnificent stern-wheel boats. For the race, a small festival was put together on very short notice with almost no budget. Small concession stands were set up to help generate some revenue to help offset some small expenses. Local bands were asked to come perform to give Riverfesters another source of entertainment.

Now, more than a decade later, Riverfest has grown to be the biggest event in St. Albans and one of the better events in the Kanawha Valley.