It’s that time of year again! The fourth annual Chesapeake Bay Boat Show presented by the Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County (MTABC) returns to the Timonium Fairgrounds for three fun-filled days of all things boating and fishing. Here are all the details you need to plan your visit.
Details:
Dates: January 10-12
Times: Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds (200 York Rd.) in Timonium, MD
Directions: The Maryland State Fairgrounds are located near the intersection of York and Timonium Roads. Vehicle access gates are located on York Road between Padonia and Timonium Roads and on Timonium Road about a quarter of a mile east of Interstate 83 and just past the Light Rail tracks. Vehicles can enter using either of these gates.
Parking: Free parking on-site.
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 for military with ID, ages 12 and under are free.
Purchase tickets online at thechesapeakebayboatshow.com to save time and money at the door.
The Chesapeake Bay Boat Show will feature over 30 Maryland boat dealers showcasing more than 300 new boats, including sport fishing boats, performance boats, ski boats, cruisers, pontoon boats, cabin cruisers, and more. Boats of every size and for every budget will be on display in the over 150,000 square-foot, heated building. The show will also feature more than 100 exhibitors (including PropTalk and FishTalk!), a Fishing Tackle Area, live music all weekend, food and drink offerings, and more.
We recently caught up with Jason Baumgartner, president of MTABC, who says that the organization “is proud to present the fourth annual Chesapeake Bay Boat Show. It is a great event that offers something for everyone in our boating community. Whether you are shopping for a new boat, accessories, or apparel, interested in broadening your knowledge base on our fisheries, or just looking to get the kids out of the house, the show has it all, including interactive exhibits for the kids, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood cooking tutorials, and a Saturday evening happy hour with a panel of guest speakers. Our goal at MTABC is to create an event that represents the boating lifestyle even if you aren’t on the hook in your favorite cove.” We hope to see you there!
This year’s expanded Fishing Tackle Pier will include:
- Fishing simulator.
- The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Kid’s Corner: lure painting, fish printing (Gyotaku), oyster cornhole, a live fish tank, and photo opportunities with a catfish and a reef ball—all weekend long.
- Chef Charlie from Jimmy’s Famous Seafood will be dockside: Catch it, Clean it, Cook it! Featuring catfish filet/cooking demos, tastings, and oyster shucking demos.
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Catfish filet demo.
- Maryland Department of Agriculture: Matt Scales will be speaking about the programs the department has and how consumers can engage with them. He will discuss Maryland’s True Blue program (restaurants/retailers serving Maryland crab meat), wild-caught blue catfish restaurants/retailers, and upcoming campaigns they have such as Shuck & Stout. He will also chat about the Seafood, Eat Food pass, where consumers can build up points to redeem for prizes.
Event Schedule:
At print time, this was the current schedule but be sure to check for updates on the boat show website.
Friday
1 p.m. Matt Scales, Seafood Marketing Director at Maryland Department of Agriculture
2 p.m. Maryland Crab Soup Cooking Demo with Chef Charlie, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood
3 p.m. Fly Fishing Demo with Tom Weaver and his daughter, Imogen
3 to 6 p.m. Live Music - Anton Tuvelman on stage by the Tornado Cafe
4 p.m. Ernie the Hog Snatcher and Hazlife, Catfish Fishing Influencers
All Day: CCA Kid’s Corner
Saturday
12 p.m. Kevin Atticks, Secretary of Agriculture
12 to 2 p.m. Live Music - Eddie Johnson on stage by the Tornado Cafe
1 p.m. Fish Filet Demo with Branson Williams, Invasive Fishes Program Manager, Freshwater Fisheries and Hatcheries Division, Department of Natural Resources
2 p.m. Catfish Cooking Demo with Chef Charlie, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood
3 to 7 p.m. Live Music - Rob Baier on stage by the Tornado Cafe
5-8 p.m. Yamaha Rightwaters Great Chesapeake Invasives Count/CCA Happy Hour Panel Discussion with David Sikorski (CCA) and catfish fishing influencers: Ernie the Hog Snatcher and Hazlife. Also Flying Dog Oyster Stout Tasting and “Meet the Brewer”
All Day: CCA Kid’s Corner
Sunday
12 p.m. Cooking Demo with Chef Charlie, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood: How To Shuck Oysters and Talk on MD Oysters
12 to 4 p.m. Live Music - Chris Sacks The Jimmy Buffett Show on stage by the Tornado Cafe
1 p.m. Ernie the Hog Snatcher and Hazlife: Catfish Fishing Influencers
All Day: CCA Kid’s Corner
For more details, a list of exhibitors, and to pre-purchase tickets (you’ll save money!), visit thechesapeakebayboatshow.com.