NEWSLETTER
Skaneateles, N.Y. - Oh, the places they have been. The stories they could tell. And soon, these storied boats of yesteryear will dock in Skaneateles. Skaneateles' Antique and Classic Boat Show returns to Clift Park July 25-27. Hours are 3 p.m. to dusk Friday, 9 a.m. to dusk Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
The show, hosted by the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society and the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, draws exhibitors from throughout New York state, the East Coast, the Midwest and Canada. About 10,000 visitors attend each year.
This marks the show’s 47th anniversary, and its 31st year in Skaneateles.
Visitors will be able to view, and meet the owners of, some 80 runabouts, launches, sailboats, canoes, rowing craft and race boats, many restored to their original condition. The names are legendary: Gar Wood, Chris-Craft, Century.
Among the boats on display will be So Last Century, a 1949 Century Resorter purchased in 2021 by Matt Hutchinson of Bridgeport, New York, as “a hull and buckets of parts” before an engine rebuild, restoration and relaunch in 2023; a 1939 Penn Yan Luxury Runabout restored by volunteers of the Finger Lakes Boating Museum; Sea Sprite, a Sportcraft Adventurer owned by three generations of the Sorts family of Jordan, New York; and The Bike King, a 1940 Chris-Craft Barrelback Runabout owned since 1955 by the Bryant family of Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania.
FLC President Paul Garrett of Skaneateles is showing two boats: Timeless, a 1986 Hacker Craft triple cockpit, and Little Toot, a mini-tugboat built in 2021 that he bought this spring “to display at boat shows and other gatherings as a draw for families to come out and discover the joys of boating. This is the first show that she is in, and I hope kids of all ages will enjoy her,” he says.
“The Antique and Classic Boat Show offers non-stop splendor, set against the backdrop of Skaneateles’ fine boutiques, galleries and restaurants,” says Hilary Fenner, executive director of the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce. “We can’t wait to welcome you!”
Highlights of the weekend include:
- Boat parade, led by the Skaneateles Fire Department, starting at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
- Performances by the Skaneateles Community Band, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday; Julie Howard and Bob Piorun, noon to 3 p.m. Saturday; and the Soda Ash 6, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Display of model antique boats by the Syracuse Model Boat Club, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
- Guided village bus tours, presented by the Skaneateles Historical Society, 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Additional tours may be offered Sunday.
- Youth judging, 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
- Opportunities for children to paint toy wooden boats, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and a kids’ craft activity hosted by the Skaneateles Library, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
- Photo-shoot and spectator cruise aboard the Judge Ben Wiles, 10 a.m. Sunday. The Judge will leave from the Mid-Lakes Navigation dock in Clift Park 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 $17/adults, $7/children 12 and under.
- Raffle drawings, 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Judging of the boats, in 35 categories, takes place Saturday morning. Throughout the weekend, visitors will cast their votes for the highly coveted People’s Choice Award, sponsored by Doug’s Fish Fry, which will be presented at 1:45 p.m. Sunday.
This year’s poster is based on a painting by Skaneateles artist Joan Marcoccia Coates. As a child, Coates was inspired by her grandmother, “a wonderful artist” who encouraged her to pursue painting. Coates studied at Syracuse University, taking classes in fine arts and education. During her years as an elementary school teacher, she continued to paint and create art. In 1994, Coates’ son, George Marcoccia, captured a photo of the boat show from the pier; Coates used the photo as the template for the painting that appears in the poster.
Posters are $10 and are on sale at the show and the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce, 22 Jordan St. More of Coates’ work can be seen at Vintage Bling and Other Fabulous Things, 18 E. Genesee St.
In advance of the show, Puller, a Pulling Boat owned by Skaneateles resident Steve Shehadi, will be on display at M&T Bank in Skaneateles starting July 1. Pulling Boats are similar to Adirondack Guideboats, but heavier. Puller was built in 1916 by the Skaneateles Boat and Canoe Co. and returned to Skaneateles last year, after having spent most of its “life” in Minnesota and Michigan. It won the award for Best Historic Craft at the 2024 boat show.
M&T Bank is the show’s presenting sponsor. Contributing sponsors include the Sherwood Inn, Beak & Skiff/1911, Brinson Marine, Doug’s Fish Fry, The Savage Homestead, Finger Lakes Insurance Agency, Jacobs Press, Valentine’s Pizza and Deli, 1st National Gifts, MacKenzie-Childs, Skaneateles Brewery, Skaneateles Festival, Skaneateles Town Square, Bluewater Grill, Gilda’s, Janice Miller, Architect, Mid-Lakes Navigation, SECNY Federal Credit Union, The REV Theatre Company, Tops Friendly Markets, Visit Syracuse and Wirth’s Automotive. Media sponsors are Group M Communications, FLX Local Media and WRVO Public Media.
Paid parking is available in the municipal lot (accessed through Genesee or State streets), where parking is 75 cents an hour and all-day parking is $6. Free parking is available in the Austin Park Pavilion lot at the corner of Jordan and Austin streets, and in the lower gravel lot of Skaneateles High School across from Leitch Avenue.
A free shuttle will run between the school’s lower lot and Genesee Street by the gazebo. The shuttle is made possible by support from FLC and the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
For more information, go to skaneateles.com or facebook.com/skaneateleschamber/ or call 315-685-0552.
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Contact: Sandi Mulconry
Monday, June 16, 2025
Group M Communications
315-685-9363