Handcrafted wooden boat show returns to Toledo this Saturday and Sunday

Toledo’s rich maritime heritage will be on full display when the 21st Annual Wooden Boat Show returns with classic boats, live music, hands-on activities and one of the coast’s most entertaining races this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16.

The festival brings together owners of handcrafted wooden vessels from throughout the Pacific Northwest, with displays ranging from kayaks and canoes to workboats and pleasure craft. Visitors can stroll the marina, meet boat builders and owners, and learn about the craftsmanship that keeps traditional wooden boats alive.

One of the weekend’s most anticipated events is Saturday’s Georgia-Pacific Containerboard Boat Contest, where teams build and race boats constructed primarily from corrugated containerboard. The creative competition regularly produces everything from sleek racing craft to whimsical floating creations that paddlers hope will make it back to the finish line before falling apart.

Visitors can also watch amateur boat builders construct small wooden craft throughout the weekend, including traditional 8-foot punts, while younger visitors can try their hand at building toy boats and enjoy a variety of kid-friendly activities.

The festival also features exhibits, food vendors and live music, highlighted by blues and soul musician Curtis Salgado, whose performance adds another popular tradition to the weekend celebration.

The Wooden Boat Show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Port of Toledo Marina and Waterfront Park, located at 127 N.W. A Street. For more information, go to portoftoledo.org or call 541-336-5207.

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