2018 Antique & Classic Boat Shows
Published: Friday, May 25, 2018
Visit www.acbs.org throughout the season for event updates.
June 2: Spring Lake, MI
15th Annual Spring Lake Wooden Boat Show at Mill Point Park. In-water and park setting displays. Ramp on site. Featuring a huge display of antique outboard motors, by the Wolverine Chapter of the AOMC. Contact: Mark Miller (616) 402-3489 or [email protected] and Facebook @wolverineAOMCI.
June 15-16: Presque Isle, MI
25th Annual Presque Isle Wooden Boat Show at Presque Isle Harbor on Lake Huron. Friday is a picnic lunch and boat participant tour; Sat. is the show, 10am-4pm. Arts, crafts & vendor market; Corvette & Mustang display. Contact: Bob Van Dusen (989) 255-5115 or Cliff Beauvais (989) 657-6809 or visit www.presqueisleharborwoodenboatshow.com.
June 16: South Haven, MI
37th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show celebrates all kinds of boat types from wood and fiberglass to power and paddle, and is one of the oldest and most popular of its kind in the region. The family-friendly event features a variety of boats including Chris Crafts, Centuries, strip-built boats, dinghies, canoes, sailboats, & much more! Contact: The Museum at (269) 637-8078 or [email protected], www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/classicboatshow.
June 22–24: Algonac, MI
33rd Annual “Where it All Began” Boat Show at the Algonac Harbour Club (original Chris Craft plant). Public show on Saturday. On the water events on Friday and Sunday. Registration forms available at www.michacbs.com. Contact: Carl Garmhaus, [email protected] or Greg Lewandowski, [email protected].
June 23: Bay Harbor, MI
20th Annual Vintage Car & Boat Festival in the Village at Bay Harbor. Contact: www.bayharborfoundation.org or call (231) 439-2700.
June 24: Portage Lakes, OH
43rd Annual event hosted by North Coast Ohio Chapter at South Akron. The show is from 9am-3pm at the "On Tap at the Harbor" adjoining restaurant, then cruise to the awards banquet at historic Turkeyfoot Island Club. Participation and Class awards. Contact: Gil Maringer, [email protected] or (216) 310-7475, or visit www.northcoastohio.org.
July 1: Cheboygan, MI
7th Annual Inland Waterway Wooden Boat Show. Noon-3pm at Festival Square in Downtown Cheboygan. Contact: Chamber of Commerce, (231) 627-7183, [email protected], www.cheboygan.com.
July 7 : Gravenhurst, Ont.
38th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show at the Muskoka Wharf sponsored by ACBS - Toronto. The theme this year is “Keeping the Passion Alive – A salute to the Heritage Boat Shops.” See more than 100 boats of all makes and models displayed on land and in water, Field of Dreams, Flea Market, Vendors’ Alley, and much more. Show admission includes FREE admission to the Muskoka Discovery Centre along with discounted cruises aboard the “Wenonah II.” Contact: Mike Gridley, (705) 791-1687, [email protected].
July 14: East Jordan, MI
South Arm Classics is a combined event of classic boats and cars. The boat show is on the shore of Lake Charlevoix, with both land and water displays along with a vintage outboard collection. The Classic Car show on Main Street will display up to 150 classic cars lining the streets. This combined event will also host a microbrew tent and musical entertainment. The South Arm Classics is overseen by the East Jordan Lions Club. Contact: Darrin Podskalny, cell (231) 350-8520, [email protected] or visit their Facebook page.
July 14: Fox Lake, IL
34th Annual Antique & Classic In-water Boat Show at Famous Freddie’s on Pistakee Lake. Hosted by the Blackhawk ACBS Chapter. A Waterway Permit Sticker is required; it can be purchased at Watts Marina. Show at 9am-2pm, awards presented dockside at 1:30pm. Western BBQ Buffet at 2pm at Famous Freddie’s. Contact: Ron Van Horn, (708) 347-8951 or Ted Cartner, (847) 395-8902.
July 14: Lexington, MI
2nd Annual Lexington Antique and Classic Boat show in the Public Harbor in Lexington, Mich. Registration forms available at michacbs.com. Contact: Mark Edmonson, [email protected].
July 20–22: Alexandria Bay, NY
40th Annual “User” Boat Show hosted by the ACBS 1000 Islands Chapter. Boat show kicks off on Friday with the Kick-off Party at Boldt Yacht House at 6:30pm; Saturday is the Boat Show at Upper James Street Docks, 8am–4pm; Sunday: Awards brunch at Edgewood Resort, 10am. Contact: For registration form, visit www.1000islandsacbs.org.
July 22: Lakeside, OH
The 15th Annual Lakeside Wooden Boat Show & Plein Air Art Festival will take place from 12-4pm. Lakeside is located halfway between Cleveland and Toledo on the Lake Erie shore. The boat show and art festival features more than 80 wooden boats from across the region, as well as plein air artists and one-of-a-kind paintings, live music and food. For more, visit www.lakesideohio.com. Contact: Mame Drackett, [email protected] or cell (239) 776-6205 to enter your boat. Registration is free.
July 27–29: Skaneateles, NY
40th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Show, Finger Lakes ACBS Chapter. Located in Clift Park on Skaneateles Lake in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes region. Antique and classic boats are on display both in water and on land. Activities include: concerts, boat parade (3pm, Saturday), kids activities on Saturday, shopping, huge raffle, and more. Contact: Teddi Myllymaki, [email protected], (315) 635-3634 or Rick Nelson, [email protected], (315) 729-3823. Visit: www.acbs-flc.org.
July 28: Whitehall, MI
27th Annual White Lake Antique Boat and Auto Celebrating the Whitehall tender. Saturday: show, festival, and White Lake tour at White Lake Goodrich Park Municipal marina and grounds. The wooden boat show event coincides with the classic car White Lake/Montague CRUZ’IN Automobile Parade that occurs the evening prior to Saturday’s event. In addition to classic wood boats, the event will also include classic automobiles at the same event. Sponsored by the White Lake Chamber of Commerce. Contact: Douglas Kniff, (616) 485-2217, [email protected].
July 28: Detroit, MI
The Great Lakes Marine Engine & Boat Expo, from 10am-3pm and with free admission, takes place at the Dossin Museum. Walk in the footsteps of the Captain on the bridge of the Great Lakes Freighter, the SS William Clay Ford, visit the flying cigar, Miss Pepsi, the first unlimited hydroplane to exceed 100mph. See & touch the anchor from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and view the many ship models. Inspect a cannon recently retrieved from the Detroit River from the War of 1812. Be the coxswain on a Coast Guard utility vessel, peer through the periscope of a WWII submarine and step back in history to visit the luxury of the City of Detroit — a cruise ship of the 1800s. Contact: Charlie Schmidt, [email protected].
August 3–5: Clayton, NY
The Antique Boat Museum hosts the 54th Annual Antique Boat Show & Auction. Featuring Boats of the 1940s. Check-in on Thursday. Show opens 9am–5pm Friday & Saturday, and 9am–1pm on Sunday. Boat auction at 1pm on Saturday. Registration now open. Contact: www.abm.org, (315) 686-4104.
August 4: Traverse City, MI
31st annual Boats on the Boardwalk show sponsored by the Water Wonderland Chapter ACBS. The show is nestled along the boardwalk on the Boardman River in downtown Traverse City at the bottom of West Grand Traverse Bay. Contact: Bill Manny, [email protected], (231) 313-2888.
August 11: Sturgeon Bay, WI
26th Annual Classic & Wooden Boat Festival in collaboration with the West Side Business Association's Maritime Madison festival. Enjoy beautiful classic and wooden boats. With a focus on Sturgeon Bay’s rich maritime history, this week-long event honors the area’s dedicated Coast Guard personnel and gives everyone interested in maritime history and the working waterfront of Sturgeon Bay opportunities for fun. Contact: Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center, (920) 743-6246 or [email protected].
August 11: Hessel, MI
41st Annual Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of Arts, 10am–5pm. Awards, 4pm. Restored boats dating back to the early 1900s are registered and displayed in the water in this unique show. This year showcases Dodge Boats. Sponsored by the Les Cheneaux Historical Association. Contact: (906) 484-2821, [email protected], or visit www.lciboatshow.com.
August 17–18: Port Sanilac, MI
10th Annual Port Sanilac Boat Show at Port Sanilac Harbor. Saturday highlights classic boats, cars, and bands. Vendors will be there to join the festivities. The event also includes “Tin Can Tourist” classic travel trailer club and Saturday car show. Registrations forms at www.michacbs.com. Contact: Jeanne Harper, [email protected].
August 17–18 : Huron, OH
19th Annual All Classics Festival at Huron Municipal Marina. Boat show on Saturday 9am–5pm. Classic boats and vintage cars of all makes, styles, and sizes. Saturday evening concert. Family-friendly environment. For more information, visit the Lyman Boat Owners Association at www.lboa.net or email [email protected].
August 18: Pewaukee, WI
14th Annual Pewaukee Lake Antique & Classic Boat Show at Lakefront Park. Glacier Lakes ACBS Chapter. Contact: Wil Vidal, (262) 695-2994, [email protected].
August 19: Chetek, WI
The Chetek Area Historical Society presents the 8th Annual Chetek Fly-In and Boat Show featuring classic boats built in Wisconsin. (If it's a classic, it's welcome no matter where it was built.) Area pilots fly in and gather for fellowship. No telling what types of planes will show up. Four WWII T-6 Trainers trailing smoke make several fly-bys. A raffle winner gets a ride in a war bird. Boat show is on land at the airport. Visitors vote for their favorite boat with the winner taking home the coveted People's Choice Award. Free admission. Contact: John Baas, [email protected] or John Banks, [email protected].
August 25: Holland, MI
Annual Vintage Holland Boat Show on 10th Street in downtown Holland at the Museum. Features Michigan-made boats from 10am–4pm. Contact: Connie Locker, Holland Museum, (616) 796-2080, [email protected].
August 25: Pentwater, MI
The Pentwater Yacht Club will hold its Annual Wooden Boat Show on Pentwater Lake. The show is open to the public and a buffet lunch will be available from Noon-2pm. Boats will be on display from 11am-3pm. Boat exhibitor registration forms are available on the PYC website. The public may cast their vote for a People’s Choice Award, and Best in Show awards at 3pm. At 3:30pm, boat owners will form a boat parade touring Pentwater Lake followed by the Commodore’s review at 4pm. www.pentwateryachtclub.com or (231) 869-8921 for more.
August 25: Toledo, OH
12th Annual Toledo Antique & Classic Boat Show at the downtown Toledo Promenade Park Docks. Contact: Ramsey Brothers Restorations, (419) 255-2628, [email protected], www.toledoboatshow.com
September 7: Buffalo, New York (Grand Island)
The ACBS Niagara Frontier Chapter returns to The Buffalo Launch Club, Grand Island, NY, for their 40th show. The race boats that were part of the event have moved to their own venue with “Thunder at The Outer Harbor summer event”. This frees up the waterway for boats to come and go as they please, taking people on rides. Over 100 classic and antique automobiles will be there along with Fiberglassics and Go-Fast boats. There will be increased areas for static land displays and the nautical Flea Market. The Dart Boat Club of Ohio will be the featured boats for the show and a good number of Chris Craft Silverton Cruisers are expected. Contact: James Barrick, [email protected], (716) 909-9463.
September 9–15: Port Huron, MI
ACBS International Boat Show “Boat the Blue” will be hosted by the Michigan chapter at the River Street Marina in Port Huron. Pre-events are Sunday through Thursday. International ACBS meeting Thursday. Boat show Friday and Saturday. Awards banquet Saturday evening. Registration forms are available at [email protected] or www.miacbs.org. Contact: Jack Warren, [email protected].
September 29–30: Fontana, WI
The Geneva Lakes Boat Show is an annual event held in the Abbey Resort's harbor, presented by the Blackhawk Chapter of the ACBS. The show will feature classic and vintage boats from all over the country Saturday and Sunday. Viewing is free to the public. A boat parade is also scheduled for Saturday. Contact: Mark Svoboda, (630) 232-0934, [email protected], or www.genevalakesboatshow.com.
This article first appeared in the Launch Issue (May/Jun) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Antique & Classic Boats, boat show, Great Lakes
