Southport Wooden Boat Show
Historic Old Yacht Basin, Southport, NC
- Date: 11/7/2026
- Starts: 10:00 am
- Ends: 4:00 pm
The Southport Wooden Boat Show returns to the historic waterfront for a celebration of the Cape Fear region’s rich maritime and boatbuilding heritage. Held each year on the first Saturday in November, the show brings an impressive collection of handcrafted and restored wooden boats to the streets and docks surrounding Southport’s Old Yacht Basin.
Visitors can meet boat builders and owners, see wooden boat-building techniques in action and explore maritime exhibits and demonstrations throughout the day. Cape Fear Community College’s boat-building program demonstrates traditional skills such as steam bending, while other activities highlight knot tying, sailing, local maritime history and the working waterfront.
There’s plenty beyond the boats, too. The event traditionally includes live music, nautical and maritime vendors, food, harbor tours and hands-on children’s activities. Kids can even build and decorate their own small wooden boats and test their seaworthiness.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with boats displayed on land along Moore Street and Caswell Avenue as well as in the water at the nearby docks. Awards and raffle prizes wrap up the afternoon.
