Hayden Lake Classic Boat Show returns for ninth year

Hayden Lake’s waterfront will turn into a floating museum when the ninth annual Hayden Lake Classic Boat Show returns to the marina docks in front of the Boathouse Restaurant. The free public event is set for Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., giving visitors a close look at antique craft and classic mahogany speedboats on one of Kootenai County’s best-known summer shorelines.

The show is more than a display of polished wood and chrome. Inland Empire Antique & Classic Boat Society describes it as an informal gathering for chapter members and friends, a detail that fits the setting at Hayden Lake Marina, where the boats sit right on the water instead of in a fairground lot. There is no available transient boat moorage, so anyone planning to attend needs to come by car. The Boathouse Restaurant will be open during the show, adding a built-in lunch stop to a morning on the lake.

The lineup is expected to include boats from the United States and Canada, underscoring how classic-boat culture crosses the border and connects a regional network of restorers, owners and admirers. The Inland Empire chapter says its shows have drawn boats from as many as six different ACBS chapters in the Northwest, a sign that Hayden has become a destination for a broader circle of enthusiasts, not just a local club meet. The chapter itself was founded in 2000 and officially recognized in 2001. By summer 2024, it had 125 members.

That history helps explain why the show has settled into Hayden’s summer calendar. It also reflects the lake’s own long recreational legacy. In 1906, the electric railroad was extended from Coeur d’Alene to Hayden Lake, and that same year the Bozanta Tavern opened, helping establish the area as a resort destination. More than a century later, the boat show keeps that waterfront identity visible, with Hayden Lake’s classic craft serving as working reminders of the lake’s place in North Idaho recreation.

The event also carries a civic edge. At the 2025 show, the Hayden Lake Watershed Improvement District used the gathering to share information about efforts to maintain water quality, bringing an environmental message to a venue built around the lake itself. That mix of craftsmanship, history and stewardship is part of why the show endures: it celebrates the boats, but it also celebrates the place that made them matter.