There are few better ways to spend a late July weekend in Skaneateles than with your feet on the grass at Clift Park. Add a cold drink in hand and some of the most beautiful wooden boats in North America gliding across one of the clearest lakes in the country. The Antique and Classic Boat Show has been doing exactly this since 1978. And it gets better every year.
Now in its late forties as an event, it has called Skaneateles home for over three decades. Around 10,000 visitors turn up each year. They come from across New York, the East Coast, the Midwest, and Canada. The show draws around 80 vessels — boats in the water and displays on land. The names on display are legendary. Chris-Craft. Gar Wood. Century. Many have been painstakingly restored to their original condition. Each carries a history as interesting as its woodwork. And crucially, the owners love to talk about them. Expect to learn far more about vintage boatbuilding than you ever expected to.
A Weekend Full of More Than Just Boats
The weekend runs across three days in late July. Friday opens from 3pm to dusk. Saturday runs 9am to dusk. And Sunday wraps up at 2pm. Admission is entirely free throughout. The Saturday boat parade — led by the Skaneateles Fire Department — is a highlight. Similarly, the Sunday morning photo-shoot cruise aboard the Judge Ben Wiles takes spectators out on the lake while vintage boats make passes alongside. Additionally, live music fills the weekend and guided village bus tours run throughout Saturday. The People’s Choice Award draws visitors into the judging process. Furthermore, kids can paint toy wooden boats on Saturday and join craft activities on Sunday — all free of charge.
The setting adds enormously to the experience too. Clift Park sits right in the heart of the village. The lake is on one side and the shops, galleries, and restaurants of Skaneateles are on the other. It’s the perfect summer weekend.
Check skaneateles.com for the exact dates each year. The show falls on the last weekend of July.