New Venue Presents Exciting Opportunities Ahead of 2025 Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point (April 11-13) 

Annapolis Boat Shows team surveys new location

at Safe Harbor Narrows Point

The Bay Bridge Boat Show has a great atmosphere. That’s because the show’s largest exhibitor has always been the venue itself. This year, Safe Harbor Narrows Point will be giving attendees the opportunity to try the marina lifestyle. You can explore boats, walk the docks, hang out with fellow boaters, and grab a drink at the pool bar. It’s a rare opportunity to try being a boater for a day. And, if you get a taste for it, you can buy a boat at the show and have it on the water that weekend.

“Whether you’re here for the boats, the education, or the food and entertainment, it’s always a ton of fun,” says Annapolis Boat Shows’ president, Mary Ewenson. “And the beautiful new venue means visitors may board even more exciting new powerboats and shop everything from gear and accessories to electronics, communication equipment, education, clubs, and more.”

Annapolis Boat Shows’ General Manager Sheila Jones says she’s particularly excited about the expanded demo dock.

“There’s more room to offer hands-on experiences with the latest boating technologies, as well as added space for entertainment and educational programming,” says Jones. “If you’re a seasoned boater or a first timer, the show will offer something new for everyone to explore.”

Dockside dining at The Jetty in Kent Narrows

New Amenities

• Eight restaurants, four hotels, and a nature park within walking distance
• Over 800 parking spots within a mile of the show
• Access to the Cross Island Trail

The new venue makes it easier than ever to turn your visit to the Bay Bridge Boat Show into an awesome day trip or a relaxing weekend getaway. Visitors will have great options when it comes to waterfront dining and accommodations. The Cross Island Trail will make it easy to get around Kent Narrows by foot or on a bicycle. Parking will be plentiful with shuttles running between the lot at the Old Outlets off Exit 41 and the show.

Poolside bar at 2024 Bay Bridge Boat Show

Back by Popular Demand

Along with offering its own charms, the new venue will also prove to be a great host for the programs and exhibits attendees love.

• Boats: Climb aboard over 250 powerboats (new & preowned)
• Exhibitors: Find boating gear, lifestyle apparel, home decor, local artisanal products, and more
• PropTalk Demo Dock: Choose from a selection of boats to take for test ride
• Food Trucks: The food trucks are back!
• Poolside Bar: Enjoy live music, drinks, and snacks by the pool courtesy of the Lazy Mermaid Pool Bar
• FishTalk Fishing Pavillion: Expert angling advice, kids’ activities, and cooking demos
• Free Seminars: Take your boating skills to the next level with free educational boating seminars
• BoatUS On-Water Training: Sign up for an on-the-water boating course courtesy of BoatUS

History of Annapolis Boat Shows’ Spring Boat Shows (1983 – 2025)

Annapolis Boat Shows’ Spring shows have marked the beginning of boating season in the Mid-Atlantic region each year for more than four decades. Where the Annapolis Sailboat Show and Annapolis Powerboat Show (started, respectively, in 1970 and 1971) were dominated by national and international manufacturers, the spring shows have always run with the intention of letting local dealers shine – allowing them to find buyers before the next model year begins and to draw boaters’ attention at the start of the season.

• 1983 – Annapolis Boat Shows holds its first spring boat show out of Sandy Point State Park.
• 1987 – Spring boat show becomes part of Baltimore’s Harbor Expo, moving to the Inner Harbor under the name Baltimore In-Water Boat Show.
• 1991 – Show moves to Annapolis Yacht Basin to become the Annapolis Spring Boat Show (held in April) and the Annapolis Brokerage Boat Show (held in May), merging thereafter under the name Annapolis Spring Boat Show (hosting new and used boats, power and sail).
• 1999 – The Annapolis Spring Boat Show merges with the Chesapeake Bay Yacht & Powerboat Show at the Bay Bridge Marina to become the Chesapeake Bay Spring Boat and Yacht Expo. The channel leading to the Bay Bridge Marina on Kent Island has yet to be dredged, so the venue can only accommodate powerboats.
• 2000 – The spring show is renamed Bay Bridge Boat Show.
• 2004 – Local sailboat dealers come together to create the Annapolis Spring Sales Event with Annapolis Boat Shows handling the marketing. Instead of having the boats in one centralized location, a shuttle ferries “attendees” between the dealerships.
• 2012 – Responding to demand for a spring sailboat show, Annapolis Boat Shows organizes the first Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show (held at City Dock) to replace the Annapolis Spring Sales Event.
• 2025 – The Bay Bridge Boat Show moves to Kent Narrows to become the Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point.

Bay Bridge Boat Show guide cover (2001)

Chesapeake Bay Spring Boat and Yacht Expo aerial (1999)

Sponsors

• Queen Anne’s County
• Safe Harbor Narrows Point
• Marine Trades Association of Maryland