Over 20 years ago, the festival was called ‘The Blessing of The Fleet’. Highly decorated boats would parade up and down the river, being blessed by a priest before the shrimping season started while everyone gathered to wish shrimpers a successful harvest and safe journey.

Eventually, the laws changed on the shrimping season, the price of fuel went up, and the festival no longer could represent the shrimping season. At that point, towns people decided to keep the festival and rename it 'Freeport Riverfest' in honor of the people who live and work in the area surrounding the ‘Old Brazos River’.