The Porter County Expo Center held the annual Northwest Indiana Boat Show that started on Friday at noon. The event holds many different types of boats on display including cruisers, deck boats, bow riders, center console fish boats, performance and electric pontoons, aluminum deep sea fish boats, jet skis and even more.
“The Northwest Indiana Boat Show has had a 35 year history with many dealers gathering together to show what’s new.” said Ed Fay, of Fays Marina Boatshop, who represented his company during the duration of the boat show, “We’re one of local dealers in the region, so we support everyone with local and known service. We bring in a wide arrange of boats here every year because boating spans from the small boat that went behind the building and was passed down for three generations, to the cruisers that families spend the whole weekend on. There’s a wide arrange of what people want, and that’s all here.”
Jim Parks of Hubers Marine from La Porte had similar feelings, “We serve Northwest Indiana and travel all around Illiana to different boat shows but it’s always been a pleasure to see the people in this area specifically and show off the different boats we brought with us.”
Not only were there boats on display, but boater safety information from the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Located conveniently right in the lobby of the Expo Center, they have all the advice, pamphlets, and packets needed to expand knowledge about how to be safe out on the water.
The boat show certainly didn’t sail off with a boat showcase on Friday. By Saturday the Michiana Walleye Club will have brought in over 50 vendors to showcase their fisherman accessories and boating needs that could in fact go hand-in-hand with a newly purchased boat. Need top of the line fishing line? Sunglasses to keep eyes open on the lake? They’ll have it all and more. The showcase will continue on until the end of the weekend, closing Sunday at 6 p.m.
The real hook and sinker into coming the Northwest Indiana Boat show, though, is seeing what you might want right in front of you. Ed Risser, of B&E Marine, explains that it makes a huge difference, “Between looking at the boat someone might be thinking about buying from a book or the internet to getting on one and seeing it right in their face changes things. You can actually shop and see the different sizes of boats, their color and shape. I’ve been doing this show for 15 years now and that’s something I see that really gets someone going.”
The admission for this event is free, as well as parking. There are still two days left to experience the Boat Show. If it’s to browse, buy canned worms or a pontoon boat, there’s reason to sail down to this once a year event.