Boat Shows & Marine Expos 2026
North America's boat show calendar is one of the most concentrated in the world — from the massive January and February consumer shows in Miami and Chicago to the beloved wooden boat festivals of late summer and fall, there's an event for every kind of sailor. The shows serve multiple purposes: they're where new boats get launched and major gear gets announced, but they're also where the sailing community comes together, takes stock, and gets excited for the season ahead.
See also our full 2026 marine events calendar for month-by-month listings including regattas and marine festivals.
Major Consumer Boat Shows
Miami International Boat Show — January 2026
One of the largest boat shows in the world, the Miami show takes over the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin and the Miami Beach Convention Center for five days in mid-January. With over 1,000 exhibitors and hundreds of boats in the water, it's the premier launch event for the North American boating season. Strong emphasis on power boats, superyachts, and electronics — but with significant sailboat representation.
Annapolis United States Sailboat Show — October 2026
Held annually in early October on the Chesapeake Bay waterfront in Annapolis, Maryland, the Annapolis Sailboat Show is the largest in-water sailboat show in the world. Hundreds of sailboats — from daysailers to offshore cruisers — are displayed in the water and on land. The show occupies the city dock and surrounding waterfront, transforming downtown Annapolis into a sailing event for a week. The companion United States Powerboat Show runs the following week at the same location.
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) — October/November 2026
The Fort Lauderdale show is the world's largest boat show by exhibit space, spread across six venues along the Broward County waterway system. With over 1,500 vessels on display and billions of dollars in product, it is more trade show than consumer event at its core — but it is open to the public and draws enormous crowds. Fort Lauderdale's position as the superyacht capital of the world is nowhere more evident than at FLIBS.
Regional Boat Shows
| Show | Location | Approx. Month |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Insurance New York Boat Show | New York, NY | January |
| Chicago Boat Show | Chicago, IL | January–February |
| Seattle Boat Show | Seattle, WA | January–February |
| Long Beach Boat Show | Long Beach, CA | February |
| Vancouver International Boat Show | Vancouver, BC | February–March |
| Toronto International Boat Show | Toronto, ON | January |
| Strictly Sail Chicago | Chicago, IL | March |
| Newport Beach Boat Show | Newport Beach, CA | April |
| Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show | Annapolis, MD | April |
| Los Angeles Boat Show | Los Angeles, CA | November |
Wooden Boat Festivals
Alongside the commercial boat shows, a parallel circuit of wooden boat festivals draws the classic sailing community. These events are smaller, more intimate, and in many ways more interesting — focused on craftsmanship, maritime history, and the particular beauty of traditional wooden vessels.
Wooden Boat Festival — Port Townsend, WA — September 2026
The largest wooden boat festival in North America, held annually in Port Townsend, Washington over the second weekend of September. Hundreds of wooden vessels from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond gather at the Point Hudson Marina for three days of boat exhibitions, seamanship demonstrations, boat building competitions, and sailing races. Port Townsend is home to the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building and has a strong community of traditional boat builders and restorers — the festival is very much a homecoming event.
Eggemoggin Reach Regatta — Brooklin, ME — August 2026
Held on the Eggemoggin Reach in Maine — one of the most beautiful stretches of sailing water on the East Coast — this annual regatta brings together classic wooden sailboats for racing in the traditional style. The event is associated with WoodenBoat Magazine, which is headquartered nearby in Brooklin. The regatta has a casual, elegiac quality that distinguishes it from competitive one-design racing: the goal is to sail beautiful boats beautifully, in beautiful waters.
Gloucester Schooner Festival — Gloucester, MA — September 2026
Gloucester, Massachusetts — America's oldest fishing port — hosts an annual Schooner Festival each Labor Day weekend. Traditional schooners gather from across the East Coast to race in the waters off Cape Ann, commemorating the great era of the Gloucester fishing fleet. The festival includes parade of sail, races, harbor tours, and shore-side events celebrating Gloucester's maritime heritage.
What to Look for at a Boat Show
First-time boat show visitors are often overwhelmed by the scale. A few tips:
- Go with specific questions. The best use of a boat show is getting aboard boats you're considering buying or comparing, and talking to manufacturers and dealers directly. Come prepared with measurements of your marina slip.
- Attend seminars. Most major shows run a full program of seminars — navigation, seamanship, maintenance, passage planning. These are often excellent and underattended.
- Check the used boat sections. Many shows include used boat listings alongside new. Some of the best deals at boat shows are on brokerage vessels.
- Bring your slip dimensions. If you're shopping for a new boat, knowing your slip's LOA, beam, and draft limits will save you from falling in love with something that won't fit.