In October of 2023 our boat needed some warranty work done in the owners cabin, and that time period just so happen to coincide with the Annapolis Boat Show. After getting good feedback from other liveaboard cruisers we decided to fly up and see the show for ourselves. Having experienced the event for ourselves, here are our top tips for visiting the Annapolis Sailboat Show.
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Getting Annapolis Boat Show tickets
The easiest way to buy ticket for the Annapolis Boat Shows is through their website. These are the standard ticket prices for the Annapolis Sailboat Show 2024, which is being held October 10 - 14.
Ticket | Onsite Cost | Online Cost |
Preview Day (Thursday October 10) | $50 USD | $45 USD |
General Admission (Adult) | $30 USD | $25 USD |
General Admission (Child) | Ages 7 to 15 is $10 USD Ages 6 and under are free | Ages 7 to 15 is $10 USD Ages 6 and under are free |
2-Day Combo: Preview Day + 1 General Admission Day | $65.00 USD | $65.00 USD |
2-Day Combo: 2 General Admission Days | $45.00 USD | $45.00 USD |
VIP Experience (1 day) | Not Available | $251.75 USD |
Annapolis Sailboat Show Discount Tickets 2024
In the lead up to the sailboard show you'll start seeing a whole lot of YouTubers advertising Annapolis Boat Show promo codes for the show which can be applied at the online check out. We did this for one of the days and paid a discounted price of $20 per ticket rather than the gate price of $30.
Here are some of the discount codes available this year; each saves $5 on the online ticket price.
Harbours Unknown - HARBORU24
Rigging Doctor - RIGDOC24
Sailing One Life - ONELIFE24
Sailing Delos - 24DELOSSV
WE Sail - WESAIL24
TEULU Tribe - TTRIBE24
Annapolis Sailboat Show Free Tickets
The second day we attended we got in totally free. Mantus Marine were one of the Annapolis boat show exhibitors and about a week before the event they announced they'd been allocated a number of tickets and would give them away in pairs to the first people that emailed them. I managed to get in quick and get two tickets, saving us the $40 we would have had to spend on entry that day.
Booking accommodation in Annapolis
If you want to stay in the heart of Annapolis book VERY early. Lots of place within walking distance of the show or shuttle sell out many months in advance and the prices soar for the weekend.
We ended up staying 15 minutes from the sail boat show and driving in each day, which was cheaper than booking accommodation in town.
Where to park for the Annapolis Boat Show
When you look at the advertising for any of the boating shows in Annapolis the suggested parking is at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. We didn't do this.
Instead we parked at the Premium Parking Noah Hillman Garage on Gorman Street, less than 5 minutes walk from the entrance to the sailing show. It was about $24 for 24 hours and we could leave the car there overnight which was a huge plus. To enter we'd use the entrance on Duke of Gloucester Street because it generally had less traffic, and payment could be done through the Premium Parking app.
Eating out around Annapolis
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food around Annapolis and how good their crab is, but being honest the prices can be a little high. Here are the best places we ate during our trip.
Double T Diner - Affordable diner with great service and tasty food
Red Hot and Blue - Delicious BBQ that's also available for take out
Cantler's Riverside Inn - Try the Oysters Chesapeake and thank me later!
Boatyard Bar and Grill - A little pricier but the seafood was very good
Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub - Upmarket pub atmosphere with filling food and cider
Tips for the attending the Annapolis Boat Show
Here's 5 tips for the show and show events that might come in handy.
1. Wear comfortable shoes that are easy to take on and off, and make sure you have a bag to carry around any freebies you might get. When we went they did have complimentary tote bags at the entrance.
2. Buy any products you want on the first day of the show. Stock runs out relatively quickly and most vendors have nothing left by Sunday. That being said, many will give you boat show discount codes that are valid for a certain period of time after the show finishes.
3. We waited until the afternoons to tour the boats and this seemed to work well as we never had to wait in line to go aboard.
4. Personally I'd only plan to spend 2 days at the show, 3 is a bit too much. We went Friday and Sunday which worked out well as it meant we got a chill day on Saturday.
5. Last year it was possible to buy tickets just to the after party of the International Cruisers Awards, which was much cheaper than buying tickets to the awards themselves. We weren't aware of this until the night, and probably would have just bought the after party tickets if we'd known as that's when you get a chance to talk and mingle with other cruisers.
Once the show is over it packs up pretty quickly and people leave town. There's not much reason to stay past Sunday so if you're coming to Annapolis just for the show it's worth thinking about what else you want to do in Maryland or the surrounding states.
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