The 2026 Annapolis Powerboat Show is back with a record boat lineup, including 6 North American debuts

ANNAPOLIS, Md — The 2026 Annapolis Powerboat Show has returned to downtown Annapolis with a record number of boats on display, including 6 vessels making their North American debut — some coming from as far away as South Africa.

The annual event draws thousands of visitors to the waterfront for two consecutive weekends. The Powerboat Show leads the series, while the Sailboat Show follows October 15-18.

The Annapolis Boat Shows got their start in the 1970s as one of the first in-water boat shows in the country. Before that, boat shows were held indoors.

Officials say holding the event in the heart of Annapolis creates a better experience for visitors and business owners alike.

"It brings a bunch of customers to one place so of all of the vendors that we have I think 75 of them are incorporated in Annapolis and then we have all of the local businesses. I mean a lot of shows happen in convention centers you know and you have to go to a hotdog stand or something but here you can just walk right down Main Street," Ryan Gullang said.

"The powerboat show is awesome and it's a Mid-Atlantic show so if you are really looking to buy a boat it's the place to do it. The sail boat show is also great for boat buyers but it is the only all sail boat show in North America. 150 sail boats and people come from all 50 states 30 different countries and it's a great vibe," [name not provided] said.

Ryan Gullang said Maryland is the perfect backdrop for this type of boat show, thanks to the state's access to the Chesapeake Bay.

"The Chesapeake Bay is kind of an amazing natural resource to have in your backyard and the way to get out of the water is to have a boat and that could be anything I mean you can have one of these 35 foot monster cruises or you can have a kayak or a paddle board. Here you can really try it all out and see what works for you," Gullang said.

This year's show is the first since the large-scale reconstruction of City Dock began. Organizers say they worked to keep the event as close to normal as possible and are looking forward to continuing it for years to come.

"We have opening up Susan Campbell park the city was nice enough to take the fencing down for us. It looks very similar in a lot of ways but clean and it's exciting and we have the amphitheater that's opening up just outside of the construction zone so we're really excited for next year," an Gullang said.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.