If Lake Murray isn’t the undisputed champion of summer music festivals in South Carolina, we’re not sure who is. Lake Murray kicked off the summer season by hosting the Drift Jam on June 1, and now the Reggaetronic Lake Murray Music Festival is setting sail this Saturday.

Since 2011, Reggaetronic has been a staple of the summer for thousands. Reggaetronic is South Carolina’s longest running flotilla music festival, set against the backdrop of Spence Island. The festival is a celebration of modern reggae, funk, rock and electronic music that is meant to foster an environment of friendship and fellowship highlighting the spirit of the Palmetto State.

And yes, you did read the word, “flotilla,” correctly. You might be able to find a decent spot somewhere on dry land to view the music, but if you want to be anywhere close to the stage, you’re going to need to have your sea legs. This is a 100% floating festival on the lake which presents a uniqueness not seen in traditional festival configurations, and therefore it is a boat-only event, meaning there are no land-related activities. All boats are welcome, especially gas-powered boats.

In fact, a typical festival crowd for this event typically includes around 2,000 boats.

And perhaps more importantly, Reggaetronic and its founder, Ronnie Alexander, work both with and for the Lexington community. Reggaetronic partnered with local businesses like Tidewater Boats, Monster Energy, Capital City Lake Murray Country, Wilson Marine, Coogler Construction and others to put on the festival and make it free to attend, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Jamil Temple Shriners contributions to the Children’s Hospital of South Carolina.

But enough about the nuts and bolts of the festival, which debuted in 2011; let’s get down to the musical acts.

Lefty At The Washout is a veteran act at Reggaetronic, having made multiple appearances. Their music has been described as “blue-eyed reggae,” but it’s more accurate to call it a sun-soaked blend of reggae and rock.

Bois Obscur is a Columbia native, a DJ with infectiously danceable tracks who has shared the stage with Diplo, Skrillex, 21 Savage, Styles & Complete, GTA and many more.

Treehouse is one of the more popular acts on the schedule, a reggae-rock group with more that 6 million streams of their music and a resume that includes work with Michael Franti, Steel Pulse, Mike Love, Wookiefoot and perhaps most notably, the late Bob Marley’s backing band, The Wailers.

The Charlotte, N.C. quartet, Of Good Nature, works reggae into a flexible musical launching pad, bringing in soul, pop and alternative music into the mix.

The headlining act is Zach Deputy. Deputy’s loose, uncut and laid-back style blends an island vibe with low country southern soul. It’s almost a therapeutic experience that strives to remind people of the mere joy of being alive.

So, if you’re looking for a good time on the water with some red-hot and cool reggae tunes in the background, the Reggaetronic Lake Murray Music Festival is calling. Make sure to bring sunscreen.