Antique & Classic Boat Shows - Skaneateles

Take a Step Back in Time….
At two shows in Skaneateles featuring antique and classic boats
 
It’s been almost a century since the heyday of wooden boats. But in Skaneateles, they are experiencing a renaissance.  
 
For the 20th year, Skaneateles will host a summer Antique and Classic Boat Show organized by the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) and the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
 
In the fall, for the first time, Skaneateles will host the ACBS’ International Boat Show, featuring top-ranked and prized wooden boats from across the United States and Canada.
 
Water and land displays at each will range from mahogany runabouts manufactured by Chris-Craft, Hacker and Gar Wood in the early 1900s to launches, sailboats, canoes, rowing craft and race boats—many restored to their original condition.
 
Annual Finger Lakes Chapter (FLC) Show, July 25-27
Clift Park
 
Exhibitors at the FLC show, which attracts more than 10,000 visitors each year, come not only from Central New York, but also from New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, South Carolina and Canada. “Many travel hundreds of miles to get here, to afford others the opportunity to get up-close and personal with these grand old boats,” says FLC president Jack Gifford.
 
Although boats are the main attraction, the show offers a variety of family activities. Making a guest appearance Friday will be Charles Dickens (played by Jim Greene of Scarlett Rat Entertainment) and his entourage from the village’s annual production of Dickens Christmas.
 
Highlights of the FLC show, now in its 36th year, are:
 
• A boat parade and fly-by, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
• Musical entertainment, including performances by the Skaneateles Community Band and the Soda Ash Six.
 
• A display of antique model boats by the Syracuse Model Boat Club.
 
• A youth judging activity, sponsored by Hagerty Classic Marine Insurance to “spark kids’ passion for wooden boats.”
 
• Opportunities for children to paint toy wooden boats.
 
• Guided village tours by the Skaneateles Historical Society.
 
• A photo-shoot and spectator cruise aboard the Judge Ben Wiles, 10 a.m. Sunday. The Judge will leave from the Mid-Lakes Navigation dock and make a slow tour of the north end of Skaneateles Lake, while exhibiting boats make random passes and provide opportunities for action shots. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for children under 13 accompanied by an adult.
 
• Raffle drawings.
 
Judging of the boats, in 35 categories, takes place Saturday morning. Throughout the weekend, visitors to the show will cast their votes for the highly coveted People's Choice Award, sponsored by Doug’s Fish Fry, which will be presented at 3 p.m. Sunday.
 
The show is officially sponsored by M&T Bank. Admiral-level sponsor is Summit Auto. Commodore-level sponsors are Katz’s Marina, Mirbeau Inn & Spa and the Sherwood Inn. Captain-level sponsors are Delmonico Insurance, Doug’s Fish Fry, Hagerty Classic Marine Insurance and The Sailboat Shop. More than a dozen other area businesses are lieutenant- and commander-level sponsors.
 
Media sponsors are Group M Communications, the Skaneateles Journal and WRVO Public Media.
 
The show runs 3 p.m. to dusk Friday, 9 a.m. to dusk Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, and is handicap accessible. Admission is free.
 
For more information, go to http://www.skaneateles.com or call the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce at (315) 685-0552.
 
ACBS International Show, September 19 and 20
Skaneateles Country Club, 3344 W. Lake Road (Rte. 41A)
 
The international show is double the size of the FLC show. Expect to see 150 of “the nicest vintage boats from across North America,” says event co-chair Janice Miller.
 
“It was a great coup for Skaneateles to get this show,” she notes. All classes of antique and classic boats will be represented.  
 
Craft and other vendors will be set up on the grounds. Rides into the village will be offered aboard the Judge Ben Wiles.
 
Want to buy your own antique boat? You can do that, too, at the Field of Dreams.
 
The show runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and is handicap accessible. Free parking will be available on the country club grounds off Route 41A, with a shuttle to the show. Admission is $5 for adults, free for children.