Chesapeake Light Craft's Big Little Boat Festival

Chesapeake Light Craft, the boat kit experts, will be holding the Big Little Boat Festival at Conquest Beach on the Chester River, on Saturday May 18. The event is free and open to the public.

The Big Little Boat Festival, which has run every year in various forms since 1999, celebrates small wooden boats. The event is also a rendezvous for the legions of amateurs and professionals who have built boats from CLC's celebrated boat kits and plans. This family-friendly festival features activities on the water and on shore. There are hands-on boatbuilding seminars, on-the-water demonstrations, the chance to try out dozens of boats from the CLC fleet on the water, cardboard boatbuilding and racing for youngsters, and the popular “Best in Show” judging of home-built wooden boats brought by festival-goers.

The roster of boatbuilding and watercraft experts scheduled to lead seminars and demonstrations includes CLC’s owner and CEO John C. Harris, CLC boatbuilder/instructors Andrew Schroeher and Jay Hockenberry, and paddling and rowing coach Nicky Stimpson.

Examples from CLC's fleet of watercraft will be on display including kayaks, rowing and sailing craft, paddleboards, and small powerboats. Many Festival attendees will bring their own creations to launch and display. CLC's awards for amateur-built boats, some of which took hundreds of hours to build and look like exotic furniture, have been a key part of CLC’s annual small boat festivals for years. Participants have come from as far away as the UK, Florida, the West Coast, and Japan.

Located about an hour east of CLC’s Annapolis headquarters, beautiful Conquest Beach is situated on the 758-acre Conquest Preserve between the Corsica and Chester Rivers. The scenic Chester River provides a lovely, tranquil backdrop for the pavilion and the wide beach area. The protected waters of the Chester are perfect for paddling and sailing small craft. There’s lots of parking and plenty of shade ashore, along with two modern bath houses with showers.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Lunch is available from a food truck on site, or bring a picnic to enjoy at the park. Overnight camping for festival participants (tents and small campers only) is available by prior arrangement both Friday and Saturday nights, May 17 and 18.