The 34th Antique & Classic Boat Festival and the Arts at Navy Point begins Friday, June 17, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., this year celebrating the theme: “Chesapeake Bay Built.”
Hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society, this Father’s Day tradition brings a sense of nostalgia to the Miles River and CBMM’s docks and campus, drawing some of the area’s finest classic boats, nautical and maritime treasures, and entertainment to the waterfront festival.
Organizers plan to highlight Bay-built boats, including finely crafted deadrises and bugeyes, as well as other marque classic boats, including cruisers, runabouts, and racers. Wooden, as well as pre-1997 fiberglass and metal boats, will be on display both in water and on land, and there will be a Field of Dreams for those who are looking to own one of these beauties.
An exciting addition to this year’s show will be the USAAF P-520, the last of the 85-foot US Army Air Corps Crash boats used to rescue downed pilots during WWII that is still represented in its original wartime configuration. Maintained by the Veterans Heritage Foundation, the boat will be open for tours throughout the festival.
From Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19, the festival’s signature Arts at Navy Point pavilion brings juried fine artists, craftspeople, and vendors to CBMM’s waterfront campus, offering nautical and maritime-themed items for boat and home. Festival hours are 10am–5pm Friday and Saturday, with the Arts at Navy Point and limited displays continuing Sunday from 10am–3pm.
For advance tickets and more information, visit cbmm.org/antiqueandclassic